MOSCOW, Oct 17 (Bernama-dpa) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump could hold a new summit in within two weeks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday, reported German news agency dpa.
The two leaders discussed the plan by phone on Thursday, with Budapest emerging as a potential venue. Trump also said after the call that the meeting would happen "probably over the next two weeks."
Their last meeting took place in Alaska in August.
Trump, who repeatedly said he could end the war between Russia and Ukraine in as little as one day should he return to office, has been eager to broker a deal to stop the fighting.
Peskov said the meeting should take place as soon as possible but noted that several "issues" still needed to be resolved. He added that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio would speak by phone, the TASS news agency reported.
According to Peskov, Putin spoke on Friday with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who offered to host the summit — a proposal Putin accepted. Orbán maintains close ties with both leaders.
Russia is expected to demand security guarantees for Putin’s attendance, as the Russian leader remains subject to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Hungary announced plans in April to withdraw from the ICC, and its parliament approved the decision in May. However, the withdrawal takes effect only one year after formal notification, meaning Hungary would still be legally obliged to arrest Putin if he entered the country.
Even after withdrawal, Hungary would remain bound to cooperate with ongoing ICC investigations launched before its exit, though the court's enforcement powers are limited.
The ICC accuses Putin of being responsible for the abduction and deportation of children and minors from Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine to Russia. It issued an arrest warrant for him in March 2023.
Moscow refers to the forced transfers of children as "evacuations."
--BERNAMA-dpa
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