Poland Warns It Could Arrest Putin If His Plane Enters Its Airspace Ahead of Trump Summit

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has signaled it could detain Russian President Vladimir Putin if his plane enters its airspace on the way to a planned meeting in Budapest with US President Donald Trump.

Speaking on Radio Rodzina, Sikorski noted that Poland’s judiciary operates independently and would be obliged to enforce the existing International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant issued against Putin if he were to cross the country’s borders.

“I cannot guarantee that an independent Polish court would not order the government to escort such a plane and hand over the suspect to The Hague,” Sikorski said, according to a report by Reuters.

The ICC warrant, issued in 2023 for the war crime behind the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children, requires member states, including all EU countries, to arrest Putin if he enters their territory.

“I think the Russian side is aware of this,” Sikorski added.

“So, if this summit takes place, hopefully with the participation of the victim of aggression, the plane will likely take a different route.”

Budapest will safeguard Putin but EU nations won’t

Hungary, which is hosting the summit, has promised to guarantee Putin’s entry and safe departure – while currently a signatory to the ICC, Budapest is in the process of withdrawing from the convention.

However, to avoid flying over Ukraine, the Russian delegation would have to pass through the airspace of at least one EU state, all of whom are ICC members.

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Hungary has lifted its long-standing veto on EU arms reimbursements for Ukraine, unlocking €6.6 billion under the European Peace Facility after a two-year blockade. The move marks a shift in Budapest’s policy under new leadership and eases tensions within the EU over delayed military support. It also paves the way for further funding, potential accession progress for Ukraine, and a broader reset in Hungary’s relations with Brussels and Kyiv.

Last month German Chancellor Friedrich Merz publicly called Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal for the first time, saying Europe must step up pressure on Moscow to end the war in Ukraine.

“He is a war criminal. Possibly one of the most serious war criminals of our time,” Merz said in an interview with broadcaster Sat.1 on Sept. 2.

“We must be clear about how to deal with war criminals. There can be no leniency.”

Merz argued that Putin sees no reason to agree to a ceasefire and said Europe should work to bring about Russia’s “economic exhaustion,” for example by placing tariffs on countries that continue trading with Moscow.