Poland warns Putin's flight to Hungary for Trump talks could be diverted to The Hague
Russian President Vladimir Putin's plane could be forced to land if he attempts to fly to Hungary via Poland to meet U.S. President Donald Trump, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on Oct. 21.
"I cannot guarantee that an independent Polish court won't order the government to escort such an aircraft down to hand (Putin) over to the court in The Hague," Sikorski told Radio Rodzina.
"I think the Russian side is aware of this. And, therefore, if this summit is to take place, hopefully with the participation of the victim of the aggression, the aircraft will use a different route."
The statement follows Trump's announcement that he plans to meet Putin in Budapest as part of renewed efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine. Trump said the meeting could take place within two weeks.
Budapest has assured Washington and Moscow that Putin will not face arrest during his stay, despite the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant issued for him in March 2023 over the illegal deportation of Ukrainian civilians, including children, to Russia.
Hungary, an ICC member, voted earlier this year to withdraw from the court's jurisdiction, though the decision will not take effect until mid-2026. Despite the move, Budapest has already hosted other ICC-wanted officials, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev said his country would open an air corridor to Putin if Moscow requested it. Although Bulgaria is also a member of the ICC and legally obliged to detain Putin if he lands on its territory, the country is not required to ground his aircraft during transit.
Hungary is a landlocked country sharing borders with Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Any flight route from Moscow to Budapest would require overflight permission from neighboring countries, including Poland, Slovakia, or Bulgaria.
Putin traveled to ICC member states Mongolia and Tajikistan in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Both countries declined to arrest him, drawing criticism from the EU for failing to uphold international law.
Trump and Putin last met in Alaska on Aug. 15 to discuss a potential peace settlement in Russia's war against Ukraine and broader bilateral cooperation — their first meeting since Trump returned to office.
During their latest phone call on Oct. 16, Putin reportedly demanded that Ukraine cede the entire Donetsk Oblast in exchange for limited concessions in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts.
