By announcing on Thursday, October 18, that an upcoming summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin would be held in Budapest, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban once again caught his European partners off guard.

The Hungarian leader remains convinced he can help end the war in Ukraine by leveraging his good relations with both presidents. In July 2024, while Hungary held the rotating presidency of the European Union, he launched a “peace mission,” visiting the head of the Kremlin in Moscow and the real estate tycoon in Florida, who had not yet been re-elected.

Orban’s announcement was met with caution in Brussels. The European Commission reiterated that “any meeting that advances the process toward a just and lasting peace in Ukraine is welcome.” That is, if the meeting actually takes place.

Since March 23, 2023, Vladimir Putin has been under an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over transfers of Ukrainian children to Russia. Will he really travel to Hungary? Even though Hungary announced its withdrawal from the Court in June, it remains a member until June 2026. As such, it is obliged to arrest the Russian leader if he enters its territory before that date. “Viktor Orban has already shown that he can ignore his international obligations, so he will allow him to come in the name of peace,” a European diplomat said.

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