(MENAFN) Hungary has declared it will not enforce the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, should he visit the country to meet US President Donald Trump.

This statement was made by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on Wednesday.

Putin and Trump recently agreed to meet in Budapest to discuss potential steps toward a peace agreement regarding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The proposed summit has sparked criticism from both Brussels and Kiev, as neither were invited to the meeting.

Some Western officials have raised concerns that Putin should not be permitted to travel due to the ICC's arrest warrant against him.

The ICC issued the arrest warrant for Putin in 2023, accusing him of allegedly orchestrating the deportation of Ukrainian children.

However, Moscow, which does not acknowledge the court's authority, has rejected these accusations, calling them politically driven.

Earlier this year, Kiev presented a list of 339 children purportedly deported by Russian forces. In response, Russian officials countered by asserting that there was not “a single kidnapped child” among the list, stating that many of those named were either adults or had already made their way to Europe.

In an interview with a news agency, Szijjarto emphasized that when Putin visited the US in August for a meeting with Trump, he was not detained.

“If he comes to Hungary, he’s not going to be arrested either,” the Hungarian minister affirmed.

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