Trump: Zelensky and Putin want an end to the war. Hopefully it will work without tomahawks

Hungary is the only country in Europe that is walking the path of peace. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is clear about why Budapest."Since yesterday, many people around the world have been asking and speculating why Hungary has become the meeting place of the American and Russian presidents. The answer is simple: we are the only ones in Europe who remain on the path to peace," Orbán wrote on Facebook. The meeting is scheduled to take place in about two weeks, the exact date is not yet known."Hungary is today a country in Europe where there is a good chance that the US-Russian negotiations will lead to peace. And where the European aspects can even be demonstrated. Brussels has isolated itself, but we will continue to negotiate," Orbán concluded.

Attention has now focused on a completely practical question - how Putin will get to Hungary at all. After the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant was issued in 2023, the Russian president is not allowed to enter the territory of any of its signatories without risking arrest. Until 2026, Hungary is among them, which has announced its withdrawal from the ICC's jurisdiction, but this has not yet come into effect, notes the website idnes.cz.

But Budapest has made it clear that it has no plans to arrest Putin."We will ensure his safe arrival, dignified conditions for negotiations and a safe return home," Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said. He added that Hungary does not need"any consultations" with its NATO or European Union partners on the issue because it is a "sovereign country."

The journey to Central Europe will not be easy, however. Since February 2022, a ban on Russian aircraft entering EU airspace, including government aircraft, has been in effect. Every possible route to Budapest therefore passes through the territory of states where an international arrest warrant is in effect for Putin.

There are several options in play: The first would lead through Belarus and Poland, but given the relations between Moscow and Warsaw, this option does not seem likely. Another option would be a flight through Turkey, Bulgaria and Serbia, i.e. through countries that have a more friendly attitude towards Moscow. However, this would also require complex permits. The southern route, which would lead in an arc through Montenegro and Serbia, therefore seems the most likely. Member of the Russian Council for Foreign and Defense Policy Alexander Kazakov told a Czech website that they would choose the northern route - Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. He also added that Putin is sure that his safety is personally guaranteed by Trump.

Social media is already making fun of the complicated situation. Some commentators are joking that Putin might arrive in Budapest"underground", for example via the Druzhba gas pipeline, which still connects Russia with Hungary, adds idnes.cz. Ironically, Budapest was the venue for the signing of a memorandum in 1994, by which Russia, together with the United States and Britain, guaranteed the territorial integrity of Ukraine in exchange for its nuclear disarmament.