The European Commission welcomed the prospect of a meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Budapest on Friday, October 17, on the condition that it “advances the peace process” in Ukraine.
“Any meeting that advances the process of establishing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine is welcome,” said Olof Gill, spokesman for the European executive.
“We live in the real world”
Brussels said the assets of the Russian president and his Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov were currently frozen, but that they had “not been specifically banned from travelling” to the EU.
“We live in the real world,” emphasized Olof Gill. “The meetings do not always take place in the order or format we would like, but if they bring us closer to a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, then we should welcome them,” he added.
The Russian president is the subject of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the “illegal” transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia.
Source: BFM TV
