Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump are likely preparing for their second face-to-face meeting this year. According to the Kremlin, the summit may take place in Budapest within the next two weeks, although no exact date has been announced. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are also expected to take part.
Moscow had previously been mentioned as the venue for the next meeting, but the Kremlin later said Hungary was chosen because of what it called its “respect-worthy” policy. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that although Budapest remains a member of NATO and the European Union, it takes what he described as a distinct sovereign position.
One possible topic of the talks is the potential transfer of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine. At the same time, preparations for the visit have revived questions about the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in March 2023 for Putin and Russia’s children’s ombudswoman Maria Lvova-Belova over the alleged unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children.
Formally, Hungary, as a party to the Rome Statute, would be expected to detain Putin if he arrived. In practice, however, Hungarian officials have long said they would not do so. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto again said Putin would face no threat if he came.
“We will ensure that he can enter Hungary, hold successful talks and return home safely,” Szijjarto said. He also stated that Budapest did not plan to consult its allies about the visit, arguing that Hungary is a sovereign state.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban called the possible meeting “good news for everyone who wants peace” and confirmed that the Hungarian capital was ready to host the summit. Germany, meanwhile, stressed that Hungary’s withdrawal from the ICC has not yet been completed, meaning its obligations under the Rome Statute still remain in force. Berlin said an exception might be possible, but only through the proper international legal process rather than unilateral interpretation.
A further practical issue concerns the flight route. Because Hungary and Russia do not share a border, the aircraft carrying the Russian delegation would need permission to cross the airspace of other EU member states. The Kremlin says the route has not yet been decided, while the European Commission notes that overflight permissions are handled by national governments.