International Putin once again plays amateur Trump with "impossible meeting"

[Alpha_T83]

Trump says he will meet Putin in Hungary for Ukraine talks after 'very productive' call

The US president, who is due to host Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, says there will be fresh US-Russia talks with "high level advisors" next week.

www.bbc.com

For those who aren't aware, this is a classic Russian diplomatic strategy. There are no legal routes for Putin to reach Hungary. His ICC arrest warrant and the EU's stance on Russia makes it impossible for him to travel through EU countries to reach Hungary for a meeting in Budapest.

So why would Russia even agree to the meeting? It's a trap for Donald Trump. By getting Trump to accept the meeting, Russia will frame the EU as uncooperative when they refuse to break their own rules to allow Putin to travel to Hungary. This is design to drive a wedge between Donald Trump and the EU -- and Trump is too stupid to understand this.

October 21st, 2025 UPDATE: It is being widely reported that the meeting is cancelled for the time being.

 

[RemyR]

 

[HOLA]

Trump says he will meet Putin in Hungary for Ukraine talks after 'very productive' call

The US president, who is due to host Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, says there will be fresh US-Russia talks with "high level advisors" next week.

www.bbc.com

For those who aren't aware, this is a classic Russian diplomatic strategy. There are no legal routes for Putin to reach Hungary. His ICC arrest warrant and the EU's stance on Russia makes it impossible for him to travel through EU countries to reach Hungary for a meeting in Budapest.

So why would Russia even agree to the meeting? It's a trap for Donald Trump. By getting Trump to accept the meeting, Russia will frame the EU as uncooperative when they refuse to break their own rules to allow Putin to travel to Hungary. This is design to drive a wedge between Donald Trump and the EU -- and Trump is too stupid to understand this.

No legal route maybe, but what could they really do? If Hungary itself has withdrawn from the ICC, Putin should be safe, if he actually does want to go, so we could see Trump say "my name is Reek!" before him again. They're not going to shoot down the plane carrying a world leader for an ICC arrest warrant.

 

[The XL]

Let's be honest, the EU isn't gonna do shit.

 

[Alpha_T83]

No legal route maybe, but what could they really do? If Hungary itself has withdrawn from the ICC, Putin should be safe, if he actually does want to go, so we could see Trump say "my name is Reek!" before him again. They're not going to shoot down the plane carrying a world leader for an ICC arrest warrant.

It's not about whether or not Hungary withdraws from the ICC. It's about the other EU countries. Hungary is landlocked. How is Putin going to reach Hungary?

Poland isn't going to let him fly through their airspace to reach Hungary. Ukraine definitely won't. Bulgaria is an EU and NATO member. They aren't going to be letting Putin fly through their airspace.

What is the physical route that Putin takes to get to Hungary?

 

[HOLA]

Let's be honest, the EU isn't gonna do shit.

Netanyahu already went to Hungary this spring, and he had an arrest warrant from the ICC for war crimes. So there is a precedent. At least part of the purpose for Netanyahu's visit was probably a fuck you to the ICC, an act of defiance.

 

[Alpha_T83]

Netanyahu already went to Hungary this spring, and he had an arrest warrant from the ICC for war crimes. So there is a precedent. At least part of the purpose for Netanyahu's visit was probably a fuck you to the ICC, an act of defiance.

It's not even about the ICC arrest warrant. It's about the EU/NATO stance on Russia.

Bulgaria isn't going to let Putin travel through their airspace. Neither is Poland. There's a brick wall surrounding Hungary of nations that won't let Putin use their airspace to travel.

 

[HOLA]

It's not about whether or not Hungary withdraws from the ICC. It's about the other EU countries. Hungary is landlocked. How is Putin going to reach Hungary?

Same way Netanyahu did. I mean...you may be right, I'm not 100% sure or anything, because Putin is also famously paranoid, but I don't think it's really that risky for him.

Poland isn't going to let him fly through their airspace to reach Hungary. Ukraine definitely won't. Bulgaria is an EU and NATO member. They aren't going to be letting Putin fly through their airspace.

What is the physical route that Putin takes to get to Hungary?

I'm not sure. Follow the path Netanyahu took I guess. Whatever that was.

 

[USA!USA!]

Meh I think the US is getting fed up with them - the latest rhetoric has not been as neutral and good for Putin. They have been more pro-Ukraine and pro-NATO.

I think Trump is sick of being played the fool, and if this happens, it won't work out the way Russia hopes.

 

[Alpha_T83]

Same way Netanyahu did. I mean...you may be right, I'm not 100% sure or anything, because Putin is also famously paranoid, but I don't think it's really that risky for him.

I'm not sure. Follow the path Netanyahu took I guess. Whatever that was.

Again, the problem is the nation of origin. Russian jets are banned from traveling through EU airspace. Israeli jets were not.

There is a blanket airspace ban on Russian jets traveling through all of the countries that Putin would need to travel through to reach Budapest. Even if Hungary itself allows the visit and waives its ICC responsibilities, Putin still won't be able to physically travel through EU airspace.

I highly doubt Putin is going to hop on his jet and order it to illegally enter Polish airspace without an armed fighter jet escort.

 

[Crazy Source]

Meh I think the US is getting fed up with them - the latest rhetoric has not been as neutral and good for Putin. They have been more pro-Ukraine and pro-NATO.

I think Trump is sick of being played the fool, and if this happens, it won't work out the way Russia hopes.

Maybe it will. Maybe it won't. It won't be because of Trump's diplomacy either way. He has been played for a fool before because he is one.

 

[Alpha_T83]

Meh I think the US is getting fed up with them - the latest rhetoric has not been as neutral and good for Putin. They have been more pro-Ukraine and pro-NATO.

I think Trump is sick of being played the fool, and if this happens, it won't work out the way Russia hopes.

I think the EU is wise to Putin's games and will outplay him.

The super obvious counter is for Poland to flatly refuse Putin's jet entry into their airspace. Then when Trump tries to pressure them, suggest that Putin flies to Turkiye and takes a Turkish diplomatic jet to Budapest. That would be legally allowed, and Turkiye have already offered to help negotiate an end to the conflict.

And for Putin to be forced to rely on Turkiye to ferry him through EU airspace would be a massive humiliation in Russia. They don't think the same way we do. So either Putin accepts and humiliates himself, or he refuses and it's obvious he is the problem.

 

[Natural Order]

I think you're looking way too deeply into this. You think the Russians are going to ghost em and then laugh about it on social media or some shit?

Come on bro. Get your head in the game.

 

[Kingz]

ICC has no authority. Thats for officials of poor countries and total losers in war.

If they at all interfere in US business then they would be the ones getting rolled up.

International law put forth by any UN committee isn’t binding therefore isn’t real

 

[Alpha_T83]

I think you're looking way too deeply into this. You think the Russians are going to ghost em and then laugh about it on social media or some shit?

Come on bro. Get your head in the game.

Maybe you should educate yourself. This is a well known Russian strategy.

Putin turns around and tells Trump: "The EU is refusing to allow my jet to travel through their airspace to reach Hungary". This immediately pits the EU against Trump, with Trump attempting to pressure the EU to break their own rules. If Trump wins, Putin humiliates the EU and shows the rest of the world that EU/western rules don't matter. If the EU refuses, Putin frames the EU as a barrier to peace.

If you don't think these are the exact kind of mind games the Russians play, then you are naive.

 

[USA!USA!]

Maybe it will. Maybe it won't. It won't be because of Trump's diplomacy either way. He has been played for a fool before because he is one.

At this point I don't really care. If he does the right thing, he can feel however he wants to.

 

[Alpha_T83]

ICC has no authority. Thats for officials of poor countries and total losers in war.

If they at all interfere in US business then they would be the ones getting rolled up.

International law put forth by any UN committee isn’t binding therefore isn’t real

Yes the ICC issue is really a red herring -- I shouldn't have mentioned it in the OP.

The bigger issue is to travel through multiple EU countries to reach Hungary, and Russian jets are flatly banned from entering EU airspace since 2022. Even Lavrov hasn't been allowed to fly to the EU for diplomatic purposes.

Lavrov has been either 1) avoiding EU airspace or 2) relying on 3rd party countries' diplomatic jets to reach his destinations (i.e. Putin could take a Turkish diplomatic jet to reach Hungary, as I suggested).

 

[Natural Order]

Maybe you should educate yourself. This is a well known Russian strategy.

Putin turns around and tells Trump: "The EU is refusing to allow my jet to travel through their airspace to reach Hungary". This immediately pits the EU against Trump, with Trump attempting to pressure the EU to break their own rules. If Trump wins, Putin humiliates the EU and shows the rest of the world that EU/western rules don't matter. If the EU refuses, Putin frames the EU as a barrier to peace.

If you don't think these are the exact kind of mind games the Russians play, then you are naive.

No, they'll simply suggest an alternative location and have it there.

Nobody is being humiliated bud. That ship sailed a long time ago. The 3 week special operation that has turned into a 3 year stonewalling and exposure as a paper tiger is embarrassing enough.

You're looking way too deeply into something inherently meaningless and easily fixable.

 

[syct23]

No, they'll simply suggest an alternative location and have it there.

Nobody is being humiliated bud. That ship sailed a long time ago. The 3 week special operation that has turned into a 3 year stonewalling and exposure as a paper tiger is embarrassing enough.

You're looking way too deeply into something inherently meaningless and easily fixable.

trump: I’ll know in three weeks

 

[Alpha_T83]

No, they'll simply suggest an alternative location and have it there.

Nobody is being humiliated bud. That ship sailed a long time ago. The 3 week special operation that has turned into a 3 year stonewalling and exposure as a paper tiger is embarrassing enough.

You're looking way too deeply into something inherently meaningless and easily fixable.

I agree that the likely conclusion to this is the meeting happening in Turkiye. It's the most sensible location for Trump to meet Putin outside of Alaska again.

But why would Russia agree to a meeting in Hungary if Putin can't travel there? That's the whole point. Putin is trying to play Trump, and so far it's working. Now it's up to the EU to defuse the situation and negotiate a meeting in Turkiye, as you suggest.