Warsaw, October 21, 2025 – Poland has issued a stark warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying it may be compelled to enforce an international arrest warrant if he attempts to cross its airspace en route to a planned summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Hungary.
The warning comes amid preparations for a high-profile meeting in Budapest, where Trump has said he intends to meet with Putin to negotiate a potential end to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Polish authorities made clear on Tuesday that, as a signatory to the International Criminal Court (ICC), they would be legally obligated to detain Putin if he entered their jurisdiction, including national airspace. The ICC issued a warrant for Putin’s arrest in 2023 over alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
By contrast, Bulgaria signaled it would allow the Russian president to use its airspace if needed. Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev was quoted saying that his country would not block the flight if the summit proceeds as planned in Hungary.
The proposed Trump-Putin meeting has stirred diplomatic controversy across Europe, especially among NATO members concerned about bypassing Ukraine in negotiations and legitimizing Putin amid ongoing hostilities.
The Hungarian government, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, has not commented on logistics or security arrangements for the potential summit.
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