Despite the official statement of withdrawal from the membership of the States Parties of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Hungary remains legally obligated to comply with all provisions of the Rome Statute until June 2, 2026.

Mark Ellis, a leading expert on international criminal law and executive director of the International Bar Association (IBA), said this in an exclusive comment to an Ukrinform correspondent in The Hague.

"Hungary recently announced its withdrawal from the ICC as a member state, effective June 2 next year. At the same time, Hungary is legally obligated to fulfill its obligations, including the arrest of Putin, by that date. However, as noted, Hungary will not do this, and the international community must condemn it for refusing to provide justice for the victims of crimes committed by Putin," he said.

According to him, “Hungary’s assurances to Putin that he will not be arrested under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant are not surprising. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is politically and strategically linked to Putin. Orban shares the same philosophy of “illiberal democracy” that Putin supports. Both also despise the principle of accountability through international courts.”

He also noted that there are currently no real legal consequences for Hungary due to its inaction.

“The ICC does not have coercive tools to enforce warrants, and EU law does not directly oblige Hungary to act in this direction,” he said.

The expert added that Budapest's position undermines trust in Hungary as a democratic state.

“Her actions only reinforce the perception that Hungary is not interested in international justice, human rights, and compliance with international norms that protect the rights of victims of atrocities,” he said.

had a telephone conversation with Putin, after which he announced that he would meet with the Kremlin leader in Budapest,"to discuss the possibility of ending this inglorious war between the Russian Federation and Ukraine."