“Next time in Moscow?” President Vladimir Putin inquired in English, directing his question to his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, as the two leaders spoke to officials and reporters following their August summit in Alaska.
Instead of Moscow, they have decided to convene in Budapest, Hungary, in another effort to negotiate an end to Russia’s nearly four-year-long invasion of Ukraine.
The selection of Budapest quickly raised concerns regarding how Putin, who faces Western sanctions and is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes, would gain access to the Central European nation.
To arrive in Budapest, he would need to traverse the airspace of Belarus—his ally—before crossing either Poland or Slovakia, both of which are members of the European Union and NATO. This presents a potentially hazardous journey due to the existing political tensions in the region and their proximity to Ukraine.
Another possible route could involve Romania, but it too is a member of NATO and the EU.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov remarked to reporters on Friday that Putin’s travel plans remain “obviously unclear.”
“For the time being, there is a willingness from both presidents to organize such a meeting. However, this will first be handled by Foreign Minister Lavrov and Secretary of State [Marco] Rubio,” Peskov noted.
This forthcoming meeting is set to take place more than two months after their Alaska summit failed to resolve the diplomatic deadlock regarding the conflict in Ukraine. Since then, Trump has expressed growing frustration towards Putin and has considered increasing military assistance to Kyiv.
The Kremlin indicated that Trump proposed Budapest as the meeting location, which Putin “immediately” endorsed.
Since initiating the conflict in Ukraine in 2021, Putin has not traveled to Europe, with his last visit being a meeting with then-U.S. President Joe Biden in Geneva.
He has been the subject of an ICC arrest warrant related to the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children since 2023, significantly restricting his ability to travel internationally. Notably, Russia is not a member of the ICC.
While Hungary has announced its intent to withdraw from the ICC, it remains a theoretical member until June 2026.
This situation is not necessarily an obstacle. ICC member Mongolia chose not to detain Putin during his visit in 2024, citing “a position of energy dependency” on Russia as the reason for their inaction.
Hungary’s foreign minister stated on Friday that the country would facilitate Putin’s entry and ensure that he can “engage in successful discussions” with the U.S., despite the ICC arrest warrant.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban “has expressed a willingness to create the conditions” for the summit in Budapest, according to the Kremlin.
The authoritarian leader previously referred to Budapest as “the only place in Europe today where such a meeting can occur” due to Hungary’s “consistent” commitment to peace.
A spokesperson for the European Union welcomed the proposed meeting during a briefing on Friday, emphasizing that while Putin is under an asset freeze, he is not subject to a travel ban.
Switzerland, which is outside the EU and NATO, has previously granted special permits for sanctioned Russian officials to enter its territory.
In July, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko and a group of senior officials participated in the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament in Geneva.
Additionally, in 2024, Lavrov attended a two-day OSCE summit in Switzerland, marking his first visit to the EU since Russia’s incursion into Ukraine.
Reporting contributed by AFP.
