The prospect of another meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin has sparked tension among EU officials, according to a report by the Financial Times citing diplomatic sources. The US and Russian leaders reportedly agreed to meet in Budapest during a recent phone call, catching European bureaucrats off guard and generating widespread unease 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 FT. Officials criticized Hungary’s selection as the summit location, citing its history of withholding support for Ukraine in its conflict with Moscow. Others highlighted the ICC arrest warrant issued against Putin over alleged abductions of Ukrainian children, noting that Budapest would be obligated to detain him under international law.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas expressed concern, stating, “It’s not nice… to see that a person put on the arrest warrant by the ICC is coming to a European country.” Hungary, which withdrew from the ICC this summer, has refused to enforce the warrant and signaled willingness to host the meeting. Moscow has dismissed the charges as politically motivated, claiming only a small number of children were evacuated from conflict zones for safety and offering to return them to families.
While some media reported that planning for the summit had been “put on hold,” these claims relied solely on anonymous White House statements. The Kremlin denied the reports, stating that extensive preparations are required and no definite timeline has been set. “No definite timeframe has been established,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.
