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Poland to Putin: Cross Our Skies on the Way to Trump Summit—and You May End Up in The Hague

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Photo of Vlad Litnarovych
Vlad Litnarovych
News Writer
Russian leader Vladimir Putin waves from the plane during a departure ceremony at the airport after Russian-North Korean talks, June 19, 2024, in Pyongyang, North Korea. (Source: Getty Images)
Russian leader Vladimir Putin waves from the plane during a departure ceremony at the airport after Russian-North Korean talks, June 19, 2024, in Pyongyang, North Korea. (Source: Getty Images)

Poland has put Vladimir Putin on notice ahead of his planned trip to Hungary, warning that the Russian leader could be arrested mid-flight if his aircraft dares to cross Polish airspace—a reminder of the International Criminal Court warrant hanging over him for war crimes in Ukraine.

Poland has warned that Russian leader Vladimir Putin could face arrest if his plane crosses Polish airspace en route to Hungary for a planned summit with US President Donald Trump, Reuters reported on October 21.

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski issued the warning, reminding Moscow of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant against Putin for the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children.

“I cannot guarantee that an independent Polish court won’t order the government to escort such an aircraft down to hand the suspect to the court in The Hague,” Sikorski said.

He added that the Kremlin is “aware” of the risk, saying, “if this summit is to take place—hopefully with the participation of the victim of the aggression—the aircraft will use a different route.”

The ICC warrant obligates all member states to detain Putin should he enter their territory. While Hungary has promised to allow Putin to attend and return safely, any flight from Russia to Budapest would need to cross the airspace of at least one European Union nation.

All EU countries are ICC members, though Hungary is currently moving to withdraw from the court.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is prepared to attend talks in any country, including Hungary, if such a meeting could lead to peace, though he questioned Budapest’s suitability as a neutral venue.

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