EU Confirms No Travel Ban on Putin as Hungary Prepares for Trump-Putin Meeting in Budapest

The European Commission has clarified that the European Union’s sanctions against Russia do not include an explicit travel ban for Russian President Vladimir Putin or Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. This means there are no formal legal barriers preventing either of them from entering EU territory, including for a possible meeting between Putin and US President Donald Trump in Budapest.

Speaking during a daily briefing, European Commission spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs and Security Anita Hipper said both Putin and Lavrov are subject to asset freezes, but the sanctions regime does not specifically prohibit them from traveling. She stressed that while no such meeting has been officially confirmed, the existing measures would not block Putin’s entry into an EU member state.

When asked how the Russian leader could physically arrive in Budapest given that the EU has closed its airspace to Russian aircraft, Hipper explained that any exemptions would have to be granted by individual EU countries. She added that the European Commission itself would not directly issue such an authorization.

Olof Gill, deputy chief spokesperson for the European Commission, commented on the broader implications of a possible Trump-Putin meeting, saying the EU welcomes any effort that could lead to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. If the meeting helps move in that direction, he noted, it would be viewed as a positive development.

The clarification came after Trump announced earlier this week that he had spoken with Putin for the first time in nearly two months and that both sides plan to meet in Budapest. If held, the meeting would mark Putin’s first visit to the capital of an EU member state since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Trump said the two discussed US arms supplies to Ukraine, including Tomahawk missiles, and the impact of new sanctions targeting Russia’s energy revenues.

Hungary, meanwhile, has confirmed it will host the meeting and has assured that Putin will be received “with respect.” Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told reporters that the country is fully prepared to provide the necessary conditions for talks between the American and Russian leaders, calling Hungary “the safest country in Europe” and “one of the safest in the world.”

Szijjártó emphasized that Putin’s visit would proceed without any obstacles. “We respectfully await President Putin. He will be able to enter Hungary, hold successful talks, and return home. We are a sovereign country and need no one’s permission,” he said.

His comments come despite the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant issued for Putin in March 2023 over the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children. In April 2025, Hungary announced its intention to withdraw from the ICC, a move that followed a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, also subject to an ICC warrant.

The Hungarian Parliament voted in May to approve the withdrawal, and the decision will take effect one year after Hungary’s official notification to the UN Secretary-General, sent on June 2, 2025. Until the withdrawal becomes effective, Hungary remains legally bound by its ICC obligations, including the execution of arrest warrants.

If the Budapest summit proceeds, it will not only mark Putin’s first entry into EU territory since the war began but will also underscore Hungary’s increasingly independent stance within the European bloc on matters involving Russia and international justice.