The EU has responded to Putin's plans to visit Hungary amid sanctions.

EU sanctions against Putin and Lavrov only include asset freezes and do not impose entry bans , an EC spokesperson stated. The Foreign Ministry emphasized that they have no assets abroad. Vladimir Putin

The EU sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin do not include a travel ban to the EU, European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper stated, commenting on a possible meeting between the Russian and American leaders in Budapest.

"The meeting has not been confirmed, and we will not comment on hypothetical scenarios, but there are no entry bans as such," she said, noting that the same applies to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

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Putin spoke by phone with US President Donald Trump yesterday. Following their talks, the two leaders agreed to a second in-person meeting, tentatively scheduled for Budapest. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Lavrov are also scheduled to hold talks, though the circumstances have not yet been determined.

The EU first imposed sanctions on Putin on February 25, 2022, the day after the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine . Lavrov was also included on the sanctions list at that time.

The West holds Putin, as commander-in-chief, responsible for the military operation in Ukraine. The Russian president is also subject to sanctions by the US, Canada, the UK , and other countries.

The sanctions imposed by the EU against Putin and Lavrov include a freeze on their assets within the EU. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova emphasized that "neither Putin nor Lavrov have accounts in the UK or anywhere else."

As part of the sanctions, the EU also closed its skies to Russian aircraft.

Hungary is also a signatory to the Rome Statute, the founding document of the International Criminal Court (ICC). In March 2023, the Court issued arrest warrants for Putin and Russian Children's Ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova, finding them "presumably responsible for the war crime of illegally deporting children from the occupied territories of Ukraine to the Russian Federation."

The Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized that ICC decisions are legally null and void for Moscow. Russia has not ratified the Rome Statute. Hungary held a parliamentary vote this year to withdraw from the ICC, and the decision was approved, but the country has not yet completed the process.

As an EU member, Hungary joined sanctions against Russia, banning Russian aircraft from flying over EU territory. Budapest promised to ensure safe entry and exit for Putin during his trip to the summit with Trump. The Kremlin, for its part, noted that Hungary occupies a unique sovereign position, which deserves respect.

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