The prospect of another summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin has caused unease among EU officials, according to diplomatic sources. The U.S. and Russian leaders reportedly agreed to meet in Budapest during a recent phone call, catching European diplomats off guard. The announcement reportedly created widespread discomfort across the bloc. “No one likes it. We’re all grinning through our teeth whilst saying this is fine,” an unnamed EU diplomat told the Financial Times.
Multiple officials criticized Hungary for hosting the summit, citing its refusal to support Ukraine in its conflict with Moscow. Others highlighted the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant issued for Putin over alleged abductions of Ukrainian children during the war, noting Budapest’s legal obligation to arrest him. “It’s not nice… to see that a person put on the arrest warrant by the ICC is coming to a European country,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.
Hungary, which withdrew from the ICC this summer, has yet to complete the process but has already refused to enforce the warrant and expressed willingness to host the meeting. Moscow has denied the charges against Putin, calling them politically motivated and based on false information provided by Ukraine. Russian officials stated that a limited number of unattended children were evacuated for safety and offered to return them immediately.
While some media reports suggested planning for the Trump-Putin summit had been “put on hold,” these claims relied solely on anonymous White House statements. Moscow rejected the assertions, emphasizing the need for extensive preparation before the meeting. “No definite timeframe has been established,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
