Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have reportedly agreed to meet in the near future, with Budapest mentioned as a potential venue.

The news sent diplomatic shockwaves across Europe, as it would mark the Russian president’s first visit to EU soil since 2020 — despite ongoing sanctions and an international arrest warrant that restrict his movements.

How could Putin land amid the EU Sanctions and closed airspace?

As Euronews states, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the European Union imposed extensive sanctions aimed at weakening the Kremlin’s war machinery. The measures targeted hundreds of senior Russian officials involved in planning and overseeing the invasion.

Although both Putin and his foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, were placed on the sanctions list, the EU only froze their assets rather than imposing a travel ban. In theory, this means Putin could legally enter EU territory — but in practice, it’s far more complicated.

The EU has closed its airspace to all Russian-registered or Russian-owned aircraft, allowing only humanitarian or specially authorised flights. Putin’s plane would therefore require multiple diplomatic exemptions to cross European skies. This poses a significant logistical challenge, especially if his route were to pass through Poland or Romania, both of which are staunch allies of Kyiv.

An alternative path might lead through the Western Balkans, though this would involve a lengthy detour. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov faced a similar situation last year when travelling to Malta, taking a seven-hour roundabout route to avoid EU airspace.

What about the ICC arrest warrant?

A more serious obstacle comes from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, which has issued an arrest warrant for Putin. He is accused of committing war crimes by overseeing the forced deportation of thousands of Ukrainian children from occupied territories to Russia.

While neither Russia nor the United States recognises the ICC’s jurisdiction, all EU member states — including Hungary — are signatories to the Rome Statute, which obliges them to cooperate with the court.

Earlier this year, however, Hungary announced its intention to withdraw from the ICC following the court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The withdrawal, though, will not take effect until June 2026, meaning Hungary remains bound by its international obligations until then.

In principle, Hungarian authorities would therefore be required to detain Putin should he enter the country. Yet several EU diplomats have expressed doubts that this would happen, pointing out that Hungary has previously ignored similar international commitments.

Political and diplomatic dilemmas

If the meeting between Trump and Putin were to go ahead, it would trigger enormous political tension within the EU and NATO. For Putin, simply setting foot in an EU capital would be a symbolic victory after years of isolation; for Brussels, it would represent a diplomatic nightmare.

For Hungary, however, the potential summit could be an opportunity to strengthen its image as a mediator between East and West — a role Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has long sought to play. But can it boost his popularity? And if yes, by how much?