Budapest is once again at the center of international attention as it prepares to host a controversial summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The planned meeting, announced by Trump on October 17, 2025, is expected to take place in Hungary's capital within two weeks and is set to focus on finding a path to end the war in Ukraine. Yet, the choice of location, the absence of Ukrainian and European Union officials, and the legal and diplomatic complications swirling around Putin’s expected visit have triggered fierce debate across Europe and beyond.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a close Trump ally and widely regarded as Putin’s strongest partner within the European Union, has openly celebrated Hungary’s role as host. Speaking to state radio on October 18, Orbán declared, "Budapest is essentially the only place in Europe today where such a meeting could be held, primarily because Hungary is almost the only pro-peace country." He emphasized, "For three years, we have been the only country that has consistently, openly, loudly and actively advocated for peace." According to the Associated Press, Orbán credits his government’s opposition to Western military and financial support for Ukraine as a key factor in making Budapest the chosen venue.
Hungary’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict has been a point of contention within the EU for years. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Hungary has refused to supply weapons to Ukraine or allow their transfer across its borders. Orbán’s government has also threatened to veto EU sanctions against Moscow and has delayed major funding packages for Kyiv. In contrast to the EU’s other 26 member states, Hungary has increased its purchases of Russian fossil fuels since the invasion, further fueling criticism from its European partners.
The upcoming Budapest summit is already being described by some analysts as a diplomatic coup for Putin. Péter Krekó, director of the Political Capital think tank in Budapest, told the Associated Press that the talks—scheduled without the participation of Ukrainian or EU officials—appear to be a "huge victory" for the Russian leader. "He can use the platform of a NATO country for these kinds of so-called peace negotiations, and around a table where no leaders are sympathetic toward Ukraine and no leaders seems to be very staunch defenders of the sovereignty of Ukraine," Krekó remarked.
On the European stage, the planned meeting has sparked a wave of unease. According to the Spanish newspaper El País, as reported by European Pravda, the European Union’s leadership privately considers the summit a "political nightmare." The prospect of Putin and Trump discussing the fate of Ukraine in an EU capital—without any EU or NATO representatives—has put Brussels in what one source described as an "awkward and unpleasant position." An unnamed European diplomat told El País, "The location has been chosen carefully because it could benefit Russia by deepening divisions within the EU over the Kremlin. It could also do a big favour for [Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor] Orbán, who faces elections in his country next year."
The logistics of Putin’s visit are fraught with complications. As Sky News and Ukrinform have reported, Putin’s plane would need to fly over the airspace of several NATO countries—such as Poland, Romania, or the Baltic states—any of which might consider forcing his aircraft to land. Without a detour through Turkey or the Balkans, the journey is risky. The visit would mark Putin’s first trip to an EU country since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022; until now, he has only visited Mongolia, China, and North Korea.
Beyond the logistical hurdles, there are pressing legal concerns. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of the illegal deportation of thousands of Ukrainian children—a charge that makes him a wanted man in any ICC member state. Under international law, Hungary would be obliged to arrest Putin upon his arrival. Yet, Hungary’s government has moved to sidestep this obligation. In April 2025, Orbán announced Hungary’s intention to withdraw from the ICC, a process triggered after he hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—who also faces an ICC warrant—in Budapest. Hungary’s parliament voted to withdraw in May, and the official notification was sent to the UN Secretary-General on June 2, 2025. The withdrawal will take effect one year from that date; until then, Hungary remains bound by ICC obligations.
Nevertheless, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has made it clear that Putin will not face arrest during his visit. Szijjarto told journalists, "We respectfully await President Vladimir Putin, of course. We will ensure that he can enter Hungary, have successful negotiations here, and then return home. No agreements with anyone are required." He further emphasized, "This is the safest country in Europe. This is one of the safest countries in the world, so if there is anywhere that you can hold talks in a safe environment, it is here."
The symbolic weight of Budapest as the meeting’s location cannot be overstated. It was here in 1994 that the United States, United Kingdom, and Russia signed the Budapest Memorandum, granting Ukraine security assurances in exchange for giving up its nuclear arsenal. For many Ukrainians, the memorandum has become a painful symbol of broken promises, especially after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the subsequent full-scale invasion. Sergiy Gerasymchuk, deputy director of the Ukrainian Prism think tank, told the Associated Press, "The first thing that came to my mind was, ‘Okay, another Budapest memorandum, another memorandum where Ukraine should give up its interests for nobody knows what.’"
The meeting’s exclusion of Ukrainian and EU voices has only heightened these concerns. While Orbán insists that the talks are "not about Hungary," he acknowledges that Budapest’s hosting of the summit is a "political achievement" that could bolster his standing ahead of Hungary’s 2026 elections. Some observers see the summit as a chance for Orbán to showcase his self-styled peacemaker image, even as critics argue that Hungary’s policies favor the aggressor and undermine European unity.
Meanwhile, Trump’s motives are also under scrutiny. After a phone call with Putin on October 16, Trump announced the Budapest meeting, framing it as an opportunity to "discuss the possibility of ending this inglorious war between Russia and Ukraine." However, his previous attempt at brokering peace—in an August meeting with Putin in Alaska—failed to secure an agreement. Trump has also publicly stated that Putin opposes U.S. plans to provide Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles and suggested that now "it may not be perfect timing" to impose further sanctions on Russian energy revenues.
As Budapest prepares for the arrival of two of the world’s most polarizing leaders, the city finds itself at the intersection of diplomacy, controversy, and historical resonance. Whether the summit will bring any real progress toward peace in Ukraine—or simply deepen existing divisions—remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the world will be watching closely as events unfold in Hungary’s capital.
