The Russian foreign minister has rebuked Warsaw for hinting it might intercept Vladimir Putin’s plane en route to Hungary
Poland appears willing to engage in acts of “terrorism” by indicating that it would intercept a plane carrying Russian President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.
The top Russian diplomat was referring to remarks made earlier in the day by Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who said Warsaw “cannot guarantee” that it would not intercept a Russian government plane if Putin were to fly through Polish airspace en route to Hungary for a planned summit with US President Donald Trump. Sikorski claimed such action could be ordered by a court.
Lavrov said Warsaw’s refusal to guarantee the safety of the Russian leader indicates that it is “now prepared to resort to terrorism.”
The Kremlin has not disclosed details about the potential logistics of the proposed summit with Trump in Budapest.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Putin over alleged abductions of Ukrainian children – charges Moscow rejects as politically motivated and based on false information supplied by Kiev. Unlike Poland, Russia does not recognize the jurisdiction of the body. Hungary is in the process of withdrawing its participation and has refused to enforce the court’s orders.
Both Kiev and Brussels reacted negatively to the announcement of the planned Putin-Trump meeting in Hungary, where neither party is expected to be represented. The host nation opposes continued Western military aid for Ukraine despite being a member of the EU and NATO.
The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, claimed it was “not nice” of Budapest to welcome Putin instead of arresting him at the ICC’s request, and predicted that “nothing can come out of these meetings, if Ukraine or Europe, is not part of it.” Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky reiterated his refusal to compromise with Moscow, arguing that if he concedes any ground, “they’ll try to settle the rest without us.”
Russia has accused Zelensky, whose presidential term expired last year, of refusing to negotiate in good faith to maintain martial law and remain in power.
