BRUSSELS
The European Commission said Friday that any potential meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin would be welcomed if it helps bring a “just and lasting peace” to Ukraine.
Speaking at a EU Commission’s news briefing, spokesperson Olof Gill said: “President (Ursula) von der Leyen welcomes any steps that lead to a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. If the proposed meeting you mentioned serves this purpose, we would welcome it.”
He stressed that the EU’s position on Ukraine “is long-standing and well known,” and that “it is long overdue for Russia to stop its senseless and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.”
Gill noted that while details of the proposed meeting are not yet confirmed, the European Commission would view it positively “if it moves things forward in the direction of achieving peace.”
Asked whether von der Leyen had been in contact with Trump regarding the matter, Gill said he could not confirm but noted that the Commission chief “is in frequent contact with all leaders in the context of our unwavering efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.”
Another Commission spokesperson, Anita Hipper, underlined the bloc’s continued support for peace efforts: “We are supporting peace. We’re supporting President Trump in his efforts; we want to achieve that. And for this, we want to put also the pressure on Russia.”
She added that the pressure would also be reflected in the bloc’s upcoming 19th sanctions package against Moscow.
On whether Putin could travel to attend such a meeting, Hipper clarified that while the Russian leader and Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov are under EU asset freezes, they are “not specifically under travel bans.”
On Thursday, the Russian and US presidents held what Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described as a “very substantive, yet also extremely frank and confidential” phone conversation that lasted for nearly 2 and a half hours.
Ushakov said Putin and Trump discussed the possibility of holding another face-to-face meeting, and agreed that representatives from both sides will immediately begin preparing for a summit, with Budapest as a potential venue. The two leaders last met in the US state of Alaska on Aug. 15.
Meanwhile, spokesperson Anouar El Anouini reaffirmed the EU’s support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) amid questions about Hungary’s obligations to the court following its decision to withdraw from the Rome Statute.
“The withdrawal will take effect one year after notification of the depository here. Hungary, let us be clear, it has no effect on a state’s duty of cooperation in relation to investigations and proceedings that started prior to that date,” he added.
On April 3, shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Budapest, Hungary announced its intention to withdraw from the ICC. In May, the Hungarian parliament approved a bill initiating a year-long process for the country’s exit.
As part of its investigation into crimes committed in Ukraine, the ICC announced in March 2023 that an arrest warrant had been issued for Putin.