If the proposed meeting next week between US President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Budapest takes place and serves peace in Ukraine, we will welcome it – said European Commission spokesman Olof Gill on Friday. According to the EC, Putin can travel within the EU.
Trump announced on Thursday that he would meet with Putin in the Hungarian capital. If the meeting takes place, it will be the first visit by the Russian leader to EU territory since Russia began its war against Ukraine in 2022.
– EC President Ursula von der Leyen welcomes any steps leading to a fair and lasting peace in Ukraine. If the proposed meeting (…) serves this purpose, we will welcome it – said Gill.
– The EU is taking all possible actions to support Ukraine and weaken Russia’s ability to wage war – Gill added. He reminded that the EC proposed the 19th sanctions package against Russia. – Its aim is to exert pressure on Russia and encourage it to engage in talks. Therefore, if the proposed meeting were to take place next week and if it advanced the matter in the direction I mentioned, we would consider it a positive step – he emphasized.
Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are on the EU sanctions list. However, as clarified by EC spokesperson for foreign affairs Anitta Hipper, the restrictions imposed on both politicians concern the freezing of their assets, not a travel ban within the EU. She added that although their arrival in the EU is still a hypothetical issue, it is possible under EU law.
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, EU airspace was closed to Russian airlines. However, Hipper stated that member states can grant exemptions regarding the flight ban for Russian planes. Such exceptions are granted by capitals individually.
Gill did not want to answer questions about how organizing such a summit by Hungary would affect Budapest’s relations with other EU countries. He called questions about whether the EC President would attend such a meeting if invited “strongly hypothetical.” (17.10.2025)