The possibility of Russian President Vladimir Putin, wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes, entering European Union territory dominated discussions among EU foreign ministers on Monday.
The talks come ahead of a potential summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Putin in Budapest, which would mark the first time since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that a sanctioned, wanted Russian leader sets foot on European soil.
At the Luxembourg meeting, EU foreign ministers sought to balance support for Trump’s diplomatic efforts with the protection of the ICC’s integrity, as Putin faces warrants for the deportation and transfer of tens of thousands of Ukrainian children.
Hungary remains a party to the ICC until its withdrawal takes effect next year and has previously ignored an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
High Representative Kaja Kallas said:
“It is not good to see someone with an ICC arrest warrant coming to a European country. The question is whether anything productive will come of this. We will have to see how things develop in Budapest. Russia only negotiates under pressure, so we hope President Trump achieves results.”
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys was more direct:
“There is no place for war criminals in Europe. The only place for Putin is The Hague, before the tribunal, not in our capitals.”
Budrys emphasized that while diplomatic efforts by Trump could align with the ICC’s work against impunity, enforcement ultimately depends on the willingness of governments to act on arrest warrants.
Meanwhile, EU member states are considering easing restrictions on Russian flights to facilitate a potential visit, though Putin could otherwise enter Hungary via the Western Balkans.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot described continued U.S.-Russia contact as “useful” but warned that Putin’s presence in EU territory is meaningful only if it leads to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
