BUDAPEST, October 22. /TASS/. The Hungarian government will not abide by the International Criminal Court (ICC) decision regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin if he arrives in Budapest to meet with his US counterpart Donald Trump, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said, recalling that his country had previously announced its withdrawal from the ICC and does not recognize the body’s orders.

In an interview with CNN, distributed by the Hungarian Foreign Ministry, Szijjarto also expressed hope that the European Union would not obstruct the Russian leader’s trip to the Budapest summit. "President Putin was in the United States during the summer and he was not arrested. If he comes to Hungary, he’s not going to be arrested either, and I do hope that those EU member states which lay on the possible flight route of President [Putin] to Hungary will allow him to fly through, because this is a hope to make peace," Szijjarto said, responding to a question about the ICC arrest warrant for the Russian leader.

He had previously stated that Hungary is ready to provide all the necessary conditions for the US and Russian presidents to conduct talks in a secure and calm environment.

On March 17, 2023, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Putin and Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova on charges of "illegally deporting" Ukrainian children. Commenting on this decision, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Moscow does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction.

Hungary, like Russia and a number of other countries — including the US and China — has refused to participate in the ICC and to comply with its rulings. In April, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced that his country was leaving the ICC after the court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The head of government said that this international judicial body had turned into a political tool. Shortly afterward, Netanyahu made an unimpeded visit to Budapest, where he met with Orban.