The European Commission (EC) on Friday welcomed the idea of another meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin and said that European sanctions do not prevent the Kremlin leader from traveling to Budapest. TASR informs about it according to the reports of Reuters and AFP and The Guardian newspaper.
European Commission spokeswoman Anitta Hipper said that the Russian president is subject to an asset freeze, not a travel ban. The presidents of the United States and Russia are scheduled to meet in Budapest, Hungary, in the next two weeks, although The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin for alleged war crimes.
Hungary is currently in the process of withdrawing from the ICC based on Orbán’s decision, which was also confirmed by the Hungarian parliament in May. In order to arrive in Budapest, however, the Russian president would have to fly over Ukraine or another country of the European Union, all of which are signatories of the Rome Statute, and thus Putin should be arrested. According to Hipper, individual states can grant exceptions for overflights.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced on Friday that Putin will be able to travel to the summit with Trump and go home without any problems. “We will ensure that he enters Hungary, successfully conducts negotiations here, and then returns home. There is no need to consult with anyone, we are a sovereign country. We will welcome (Putin) with respect, provide him with accommodation and create conditions for negotiations with the American president,” the minister said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that it is still unclear which way the Russian president will get to Budapest. After his Friday phone call with Putin, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declared that intensive preparations for the summit are currently underway.
“We live in the real world. The meetings do not always take place in the exact order or format that we would like, but if they move us towards a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, we should welcome them.” European Commission spokesman Olof Gill said.
In March 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin and the Russian Ombudsman for Children’s Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, for allegedly illegally deporting Ukrainian children after the start of the invasion by Russian forces in February 2022.
