Why Trump’s meeting with Putin in Hungary is alarming Europe

Trump-Putin Budapest summit rattles Europe

Donald Trump’s decision to hold his next meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest has unsettled European capitals already wary of his stance on Ukraine. The US president announced the summit after a friendly call with Putin, and within days pressed Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept Moscow’s conditions for peace, the Financial Times reported.

Why Hungary’s role is controversial

The choice of Hungary as host has provoked concern across the EU. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a longtime ally of Russia and frequent critic of the European Union, has repeatedly opposed sanctions on Moscow and blocked aid to Kyiv. “No one likes it,” said one EU diplomat. “We’re all grinning through our teeth whilst saying this is fine.” Zelenskyy called Budapest “not the best venue,” noting Orbán “blocks Ukraine everywhere.”

Zelenskyy’s reaction and diplomatic tension

Zelenskyy said he would attend a parallel meeting with Trump in Budapest if invited, but added that other neutral sites such as Switzerland, Austria, or the Vatican would have been “worthy options.” He blamed Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, for proposing Hungary. Hosting Putin would also put Hungary at odds with its obligations under the International Criminal Court, which has issued a war-crimes warrant for Putin. Budapest has threatened to quit the ICC but remains bound by its rules until next summer.

European leaders push back

EU officials warned that Putin’s presence in Hungary sends the wrong signal. “It’s not nice to see a person under an ICC arrest warrant coming to a European country,” said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. Lithuania’s foreign minister, Kestutis Budrys, was more blunt: “The only place for Putin in Europe is in The Hague, in front of the tribunal.” Germany’s EU minister stressed that Ukraine must be part of any talks or “it will be a failed agreement.”

Orbán’s motives and Trump’s praise

Trump praised Orbán as a “leader that we like,” saying Putin “likes him, I like him” and calling Hungary a “safe country.” For Orbán, hosting the summit is a political win. It elevates Hungary’s diplomatic stature and reinforces his image as a bridge between East and West. Analysts say the event could also bolster his standing ahead of next year’s elections. But critics argue that it undermines EU unity and legitimizes Moscow’s aggression.

Historical echoes of Budapest

The setting carries symbolic weight for Ukrainians. The 1994 Budapest Memorandum — signed by Ukraine, Russia, the US, and the UK — guaranteed Ukraine’s security in exchange for giving up its nuclear weapons. Putin tore up that agreement when he annexed Crimea in 2014 and invaded Ukraine in 2022. “Another Budapest scenario wouldn’t be positive,” Zelenskyy said, warning that history risks repeating itself.

The bottom line

Europe fears that the Budapest summit could reward Russian aggression while marginalizing Ukraine’s role in peace talks. As EU leaders prepare new sanctions and debate using frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine, Trump’s overture to Moscow — hosted by Orbán — threatens to widen divisions across the Western alliance.