Hungary says it will guarantee Russian President Vladimir Putin’s safety during his expected visit to Budapest for talks with US President Donald Trump, despite an International Criminal Court warrant for Putin’s arrest.
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told reporters Friday that Hungary will make sure the Russian leader can “enter Hungary, hold successful talks, and then return home.”
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Putin held a phone call the same day to discuss preparations for the planned US-Russian summit. The Kremlin said the conversation took place at Orbán’s request, during which he offered to host the meeting in Budapest.
Trump announced on Thursday that he expects to meet Putin in Budapest within two weeks in a new effort to reach a peace deal over Russia’s war in Ukraine. The Kremlin said “many questions still need to be resolved” before the meeting takes place.
Orbán, one of Putin’s closest allies in the European Union and a critic of Western military aid to Kyiv, said preparations are “in full swing.”
He has described Budapest as “essentially the only place in Europe where such a meeting can be held” because of Hungary’s “consistent stance for peace.”
The summit would allow Putin to avoid arrest on ICC war crimes charges. Hungary has said it is withdrawing from the court but will remain a member until mid-2026.
Logistics of the visit are unclear, as EU airspace remains closed to Russian-registered aircraft since Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Earlier this year, Hungary hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also faces an ICC warrant.
The European Commission said Friday it welcomes a meeting in Budapest if it can help end the Ukraine war.
Spokespeople said that the EU backs any steps that might lead to peace in Ukraine – even though Putin is wanted under an International Criminal Court (ICC).
“We live in the real world,” commission spokesman Olof Gill told reporters.
In July, just days after Hungary assumed the EU’s rotating presidency, Orbán launched a self-declared “peace mission” with visits to Kyiv, Moscow, Beijing, and a meeting with Trump, then a presidential candidate.
