Hungary has suddenly found itself at the center of an massive diplomatic project: hosting a high-stakes meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that both sides say could help push toward talks on the Ukraine war.
The idea is politically useful for Budapest as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has touted Hungary as a unique place in Europe where the two leaders could sit down, but getting both presidents on Hungarian soil will require careful legal and logistical work.
Why Budapest?
Orbán and his government see a clear upside. Hungary has cultivated warmer ties with Moscow than most EU capitals and has been publicly eager to play mediator, portraying the meeting as a chance to restart diplomacy on Ukraine.
Hosting the summit is also a domestic win for Orbán ahead of elections: it positions Budapest as indispensable on the European stage and reinforces his narrative of Hungary as a pragmatic, independent actor.
From a practical standpoint, Budapest is appealing: it’s in Europe, logistically convenient for both leaders, and symbolically resonant given Hungary’s role in Cold War and post-Cold War diplomacy.
Still, symbolic appeal won’t avoid the knotty preparations diplomats now face, and those are substantial.
Trump-Putin meeting: Legal and diplomatic knots
The most prominent hurdle is legal. Vladimir Putin is subject to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
As an ICC member, Hungary would ordinarily be obliged to arrest him if he entered its territory.
Hungarian officials have signaled they would ensure Putin can come and go for the summit, and Budapest has indicated steps, including moves to distance itself from ICC obligations, that its leaders argue would allow them to host without legal entanglement.
That stance raises immediate questions in Brussels and among allies about rule-of-law obligations and the precedent it sets.
Beyond legal red tape, there are the practical security and diplomatic arrangements.
The Kremlin and Washington have said planners must still iron out many details, with foreign ministers and senior diplomats from both sides expected to coordinate logistics and the summit’s agenda before any face-to-face meeting.
Officials have cautioned that while a meeting could happen within weeks, complex lead-up work is required to avoid mishaps that would undermine its goals.
What to watch next
The upcoming days will provide more clarity with formal confirmations of travel clearances and the status of Hungary’s relationship with the ICC, plus whether European partners register formal protests.
Equally important will be how Kyiv, NATO, and EU capitals react; a meeting that appears to offer Russia legitimacy without concrete protections for Ukraine will draw sharp scrutiny.
If Budapest manages the legal, security, and political details, it may host a headline-making summit, but the work to get there will be as consequential as whatever agreement, if any, follows.
The post Why Hungary may have to pull strings to allow Putin to meet Trump in Budapest appeared first on Invezz