Hungary vows safe passage for Putin for US-Russia summit

BUDAPEST, Oct 17: Hungary's foreign minister said on Friday that his country would ensure that Russian President Vladimir Putin can enter and "hold successful talks" with the US despite an ICC arrest warrant against him.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Putin held a phone call on Friday to discuss the planned US-Russian summit in Budapest.

US President Donald Trump, in his latest abrupt pivot on Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, announced he expected to meet Putin in Budapest within two weeks in a fresh bid to reach a peace deal.

Orban is Trump's and Putin's closest ally in the European Union and a staunch critic of Western support for Kyiv.

"We look forward to welcoming President Vladimir Putin with respect, and we will of course ensure that he can enter Hungary, hold successful talks here, and then return home," Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told a press conference.

Orban said on Facebook he had a call with Putin, adding "preparations are in full swing!"
The Kremlin said the discussion took place at Orban's behest, who "expressed his readiness to organise a possible Russian-American summit in Budapest."

But the logistics of the visit remain unclear, especially as the EU has closed its airspace for Russian-registered planes after Moscow invaded Ukraine three years ago.

The Kremlin said earlier that "many" questions need to be solved before the summit.

Orban said earlier Budapest is the "essentially only place in Europe today where such a meeting can be held" because of what he described as Hungary's "consistent" stance for peace.    �"AFP