The European Commission welcomes the upcoming Putin‑Trump summit in Budapest, saying meetings that move toward a lasting peace in Ukraine should be seized, even if they unfold unevenly.
European Commission Weighs In on the Summit
The Commission’s spokesperson, Olof Gill, said that meetings do not always happen in the desired order or format, but those aimed at fostering fair, lasting peace in Ukraine should be embraced.
Putin’s Travel Restrictions Remain in Place
Commission foreign‑affairs spokesperson Anitta Hepper clarified that Vladimir Putin, subject to an ICC arrest warrant, must fly over Ukrainian or EU airspace only with permission from the relevant states, yet his assets are frozen rather than his travel prohibited.
Hungary Still Obligated by the ICC
Hungary has begun exiting ICC structures but remains bound to the arrest warrant until its full withdrawal next summer; a similar ICC warrant previously applied to Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu while he was in Hungary.
Orbán Announces Preparations for Leader Summit
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced that Budapest is preparing for a meeting between President Donald Trump and President Putin, promising the talks will take place within the next two weeks and citing Hungary’s peaceful government as the reason for Trump’s venue choice.
