Putin’s Budapest visit makes awkward spectacle for EU, NATO
Summary
Russian President Vladimir Putin's planned summit with Donald Trump in Hungary creates tension within the EU and NATO, given Hungary's warm ties with Russia and its controversial stance on the International Criminal Court.
Key Points
- Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Budapest, Hungary, causing discomfort among EU and NATO allies.
- The Budapest meeting is symbolic given the 1994 Budapest Memorandum that pledged to protect Ukraine's territorial integrity.
- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban maintains close ties with Russia and is withdrawing Hungary from the International Criminal Court, where Putin has an arrest warrant.
- The summit excludes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, exacerbating tensions between Hungary and Ukraine.
