EU politicians think that the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Budapest to discuss peace in Ukraine is a snub for Europe.
Ukrinform reports this, citing El Pais.
The upcoming meeting places EU and NATO leaders in an awkward and uncomfortable position, as Putin and Trump plan to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war on EU soil without involving the bloc itself.
“The location was carefully chosen, as it could benefit Russia by deepening divisions within the EU over Moscow’s actions. It could also greatly serve Viktor Orbán, who faces elections next year,” an unnamed European diplomat told the publication.
Publicly, EU politicians say the meeting could be useful if it helps end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but in private, several sources have described it as a “political nightmare” for the EU.
As previously reported, prior to his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump spoke with Putin by phone and subsequently announced plans to meet the Kremlin leader in Budapest to discuss the possibility of ending this “inglorious” war between Russia and Ukraine.
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