Trump-Putin peace summit faces venue dilemma as ICC warrant limits options

The Guardian reported the information.

The White House confirmed Wednesday that Donald Trump may soon meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in an effort to negotiate peace in Ukraine. However, the logistics of such a high-stakes summit are complicated by the International Criminal Court’s 2023 indictment of Putin for war crimes, which makes him subject to arrest in 125 countries.

Traditional venues for U.S.-Russia talks, such as Helsinki, Geneva, and Potsdam, are off the table since those countries are ICC members and would be legally required to detain Putin if he set foot on their soil. Even historic sites like Yalta and Tehran are problematic — Yalta is in Crimea, the center of the current conflict, and Tehran is unlikely to welcome Trump after recent U.S. airstrikes.

With most European options ruled out, attention is turning to countries outside the ICC’s reach. Saudi Arabia and Turkey, both of which have previously hosted Russia-Ukraine negotiations, are being considered. Hungary is another possibility, as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has signaled support for both Trump and Putin and has announced plans to withdraw from the ICC.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump expressed optimism about the prospects for peace: “We had some very good talks with president Putin today and there’s a very good chance that we could be ending the, ending the round — ending the end of that road. That road was long, and continues to be long, but there’s a good chance that there will be a meeting very soon.”

• President Donald Trump could meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin as early as next week, a White House official said on Wednesday.
• Russia and the United States have agreed to hold a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, while the Russian leader has disregarded a proposal for a trilateral meeting involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.