The US president said that the high officials of the two countries, led by US Secretary of State Mark Rubio, will meet next week, followed by a personal meeting between Trump and Putin in the Hungarian capital -  Budapest.

The question arises as to how Vladimir Putin can visit a European country, given that the International Criminal Court ( ICC ) has issued a warrant against him from March 2023 for war crimes related to the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children. The answer lies in Hungary's changed status with the ICC, which is thanks to Putin's friend - Hungarian Prime Minister  Viktor Orban.

Hungary withdraws from the ICC

Hungary announced withdrawal from ICC in April 2025, just during the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also wanted by ICC. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that the ICC"has become a political tool" and that Hungary "does not want to be part of it".

According to Article 127 Rome Statute, withdrawal from the ICC takes effect one year after notification by the UN Secretary General. Hungary submitted a formal notification on June 2, 2025, which means that the withdrawal will take effect on June 2, 2026.

Legal paradox

The paradox is that Hungary is still formally obliged to implement the orders of the ICC until June 2026. year. However, there is a key legal gap – although Hungary ratified the Rome Statute in 2001, the law has never been implemented into domestic law.

Gergelj Gulyas, the head of Orbán's cabinet, explained:"We ratified the international agreement, but we never took all the necessary measures to apply it in Hungary." Viktor Orban stated that "Hungary has always been half-hearted when it comes to its membership in the ICC".

This means that Hungary, although formally still a member of the ICC, does not have the domestic legal framework necessary to arrest and extradite individuals for whom the ICC has issued an arrest warrant.

Professor Peter Sitas explains:"Since the Hungarian Parliament has never transposed the Rome Statute into domestic law, the national legal framework necessary for the arrest and extradition of individuals for whom the ICC has issued an arrest warrant is currently lacking. Therefore, Hungary's withdrawal from the ICC would not result in any practical changes."

Hungary is not the first to ignore the order

Hungary is not the first country to ignore ICC orders. Putin visited ICC member Mongolia in September 2024 without being arrested. Mongolia cited energy dependence on Russia as the reason.

However, Hungary is the first country of the European Union to withdraw from the ICC, setting a significant precedent. The ICC referred Hungary to its oversight body (the Assembly of States Parties) for failing to arrest Netanyahu in April, but that body has limited powers to impose sanctions.

When it comes to the upcoming meeting in Budapest, there are additional diplomatic mechanisms. Switzerland and Austria, both members of the ICC, have said they may grant Putin immunity if he attends peace talks.

"Last year, the government defined the rules for granting immunity to a person for whom an international warrant has been issued. If that person comes to the peace conference - not if he comes for private reasons," explained Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis.

The ICC does not have its own policy and relies on the cooperation of member states in the execution of warrants. With 125 member states of the ICC, Putin's ability to travel is significantly limited, but countries that have not implemented the Rome Statute into domestic law or are withdrawing from the system provide him with"safe havens" for diplomatic meetings.