Europe and the civilized world should forcefully oppose any visit by Vladimir Putin to meet Donald Trump in Budapest.
Indeed, a meeting for Trump to meet Putin in Budapest would be a stark rejection of the international rule of law, the democratic world, and, most painfully, an insult to Ukraine.
Legally Binding International Law But symbolism is only part of the story.
The other part is law — actual, legally binding, international law.
Some might argue that the United States once hosted Putin on its soil, but this comparison is false.
Any attempt by Vladimir Putin to meet Donald Trump in Budapest should be strongly opposed by Europe and the rest of the civilized world. Trump’s meeting with Putin in Budapest would, in fact, be a glaring betrayal of the democratic world, the rule of law, and—most painfully—Ukraine. After all, the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which calls for Kyiv to give up its nuclear arsenal in exchange for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, was signed in Budapest by Russia, Ukraine, the United States, and the United Kingdom. In 2014 and 2022, Russia violated that pledge by invading Ukraine. It would be symbolic of a repeat of that betrayal to host a so-called “peace summit” in the same city today with the same aggressor. Given that Russia has already broken the first peace treaty that was signed there, how can it be expected to uphold a new one?
enforceable under international law.
However, symbolism is just one aspect of the narrative. Law—actual, legally binding, international law—makes up the remaining portion. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has indicted Vladimir Putin as a war criminal and is seeking him “for the unlawful transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, in prejudice of Ukrainian children,” according to a news release from the ICC. Putin is specifically linked to the abduction of 35,000 Ukrainian children, according to a recent study from the Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale School of Public Health. The important takeaway from these facts is that as a signatory to the Rome Statute, the ICC’s founding treaty, Hungary and all other EU members are legally obligated to assist in the arrest of Putin for this war crime as soon as he enters Hungary.
More precisely, member states of the ICC are required by the Rome Statute to facilitate arrests and transfers, cooperate with investigations, and grant access to evidence. These responsibilities are obligatory. A country cannot selectively implement the Rome Treaty when it is politically or practically advantageous to do so. These responsibilities are legally binding. Ignoring them would be a betrayal of the ICC as well as the idea of the rules-based international order that has governed world stability for many years.
Since the withdrawal does not take effect until June 2026, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s recent notice of withdrawal from the ICC is not a justification for breaking the rules, according to a Human Rights News Release. Hungary is still subject to all of the provisions of the Rome Statute until that time. The ICC warrant should allow Interpol agents to enter Hungary and take action. Budapest will jeopardize the entire international justice system meant to stop this kind of impunity if it permits Putin to walk freely through an EU capital.
Does the Law Still Have Any Signification?
Not only would it be offensive to the ICC, but it would also be an insult to democracy and the rule of law if Putin were permitted to fly through European airspace or walk into a summit in Budapest. According to Euronews, the EU has invested more than $160 billion in protecting Ukraine and its democratic order. This is significantly more than the US has done since 2022. This isn’t just about Ukrainian territory, though; why spend so much money on Ukraine’s survival and, consequently, Europe’s future, only to throw it away by giving the man who started the war in Ukraine the benefit of the doubt and disregarding these principles? It concerns whether laws still apply to everyone and whether the naked power can still be held accountable by treaties, conventions, and common sense.
How About Alaska’s Summit?
It is untrue to say that the United States has hosted Putin on its territory. Unlike Hungary and all of its immediate European neighbors, the United States is not a signatory to the ICC and is therefore not subject to its obligations. This is an important distinction. One day, the democratic world cannot support the rule of law and then turn its back on it. Either we enforce the law or we don’t. Trump might live in a world where he thinks he is free to do as he pleases, even if it means breaking the law. But the civilized world shouldn’t follow him in this direction. If we don’t, we’ll enter a world where the law of the jungle dominates and might makes right.
For authoritarianism, a clear message.
Additionally, this is a chance for all of us to make it very evident to leaders such as Viktor Orbán and others who are experimenting with authoritarianism—including many Trump supporters in the US—that the rule of law is not a menu from which one can choose. There is a global trend of democratic backsliding, and Hungary’s flirtation with Putinism and disregard for democratic norms are not merely peculiarities that should be tolerated. Not only is Ukraine at stake in upholding the ICC’s warrant against Putin, but it also aims to establish a standard of accountability that leaders like Orbán must follow as a lesson in what it means to be a part of the free world. Additionally, it might result in Hungary’s future exit from the EU or Orbán’s resignation as its leader.
Moral clarity is needed at this time. It is imperative that Europe reiterates that no war criminal charged by the ICC should be allowed to travel freely, much less be welcomed in a capital city. The sacrifices made by Ukraine’s defenders, the victims of Russia’s aggression, and the fundamental ideas that set democracy apart from tyranny would all be betrayed if anything less were done.
What Is The Takeaway?
Although Vladimir Putin needs permission to visit Hungary, he did not need it to travel to Alaska to meet Trump. The opportunity to meet there should never be given to him. Furthermore, Trump’s attempts to legitimize Putin by welcoming him to the United States, consenting to this meeting in Budapest, and trying to get Putin to rejoin the G-7 should all be denounced for compromising democracy and the rule of law. We learned the price of allowing autocrats to rule us last century; this one will determine whether or not we retained the lesson.
