EU foreign policy chief says possible Putin visit to Hungary 'not nice'

It was "not nice" that Russian President Vladimir Putin might travel to EU member Hungary for talks on Ukraine, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday.

Kallas told reporters ahead of a gathering of European foreign ministers in Luxembourg that Trump's efforts to bring peace are welcome but that it is also important for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet with the Russian leader.

"America has a lot of strength to pressure Russia to come to the negotiation table, if they use that then, of course, this is good if Russia stops this war," Kallas said.

Putin faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, which Hungary is in the process of leaving.

"Regarding Budapest, no, it's not nice ... to see that really a person put to the arrest warrant by the ICC is coming to a European country," Kallas said, adding that the "question is whether there is any outcome".

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said that there was no place for Putin in any European capital.

Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen also raised concern about Putin's possible visit to an EU country.

"Let's see where the meeting will be held and in which format but it is of course evident that within the EU area a war criminal, such as Putin, should not be welcome," she told reporters.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that Putin's planned trip only made sense if it led to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, while Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel told reporters "the most important thing is that we have a negotiating table".

A Kremlin aide has said that Putin had reiterated to Trump in a call on Thursday his longstanding position on the state of the war, saying Russian troops had the strategic initiative along the whole front line.

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