Information about the conversation between Putin and Orbán is not extensive. Russian propaganda agency TASS, citing the Kremlin, reported that Putin told Orbán about his conversation with the US president.

Orbán, for his part, wrote on Facebook that preparations for the meeting in Budapest are"moving forward in big steps."

It remains unclear whether European restrictions on Russian aircraft flying over European Union (EU) countries will pose problems for Putin's flight to Hungary. None of Putin's possible routes would avoid entering the airspace of an EU country.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced on Friday that his country would provide the Russian leader with a flight for the talks."There is no need for any consultations with anyone, we are a sovereign country. We will receive him with respect, we will welcome him and provide all conditions for talks with the US president," the minister told Reuters.

Another formal problem is the arrest warrant for Putin issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2023. However, Hungary has already announced its intention to withdraw from the ICC and has invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is subject to a similar arrest warrant, to visit.

It has already been reported that Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are expected to meet at the White House in Washington on Friday. On Thursday, the US president had a phone conversation with Putin, after which Trump announced that he was preparing to meet with the Russian dictator.

Trump did not specify a specific date for the possible meeting, but said that"great progress" had been made during the conversation. He said on social media that the meeting in Budapest would allow him to determine"whether we can end this terrible war between Russia and Ukraine."