Hungary will not arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest – Szijjártó

Szijjártó made it clear that Putin should not fear arrest under the ICC warrant in Hungary when the Russian president arrives in Budapest for a summit with US President Donald Trump.

According to Szijjártó, the date and details of the Trump–Putin meeting will be announced later, after officials from the three countries discuss them. Budapest, he said, is ready to "ensure proper conditions" for the talks, as Hungary is supposedly "one of the safest countries in the world."

At the same time, Szijjártó made it clear that Budapest will ignore the ICC arrest warrant issued for Putin. Moreover, Putin is expected to be received in Hungary "with respect."

"We are waiting for President Vladimir Putin with respect, of course. We will ensure that he can enter Hungary, hold successful talks here, and then return home. No coordination with anyone is needed," the Hungarian minister boldly stated.

ICC warrant for Putin's arrest

In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin was accused of the abduction of Ukrainian children.

Theoretically, all 125 member states of the Rome Statute of the ICC are obliged to comply with such a decision. However, Mongolia already violated this principle in September 2024, and more recently, Tajikistan also refused to enforce the warrant. Thus, Hungary has joined the list of countries that refused to enforce the warrant.

Trump–Putin summit: What is known

Trump, after a conversation with Putin on October 16, announced a meeting with the Russian president. It is assumed that the summit will take place in Budapest within the next two weeks.

Following this, Szijjártó publicly announced the start of preparations for the meeting between the US and Russian presidents in Budapest. Meanwhile, Hungary's pro-Russian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has already hastened to hold a phone call with Putin.