Preparations for organising the planned summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are progressing at full speed, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told state media on October 17, state news agency MTI writes. Despite the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant against Putin, Hungarian authorities have stated the Russian president will face no legal risk during the visit.

Orban told Kossuth Radio that Marc Rubio and his Russian peer will aim to settle any remaining unresolved matters in the coming week, and then the two leaders can meet in Budapest a week later, he said. The prime minister confirmed had held phone talks with President Putin to discuss the upcoming meeting, while Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto discussed details with US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Sergei Lavrov.

The prime minister said there had been "no real alternative" to Budapest as the venue for the meeting, noting that Hungary was "the only pro-peace country in Europe" and that it was Budapest that advocated keeping diplomatic channels open.

He said the upcoming summit was "not about Hungary, but about peace", describing it as a major diplomatic achievement that Budapest had been selected to host such a high-level event.

The EU had already spent €180bn on the war, and ending the conflict could "double or triple" Hungary's economic growth. The temporary inconveniences caused by hosting the summit were therefore "worth it", he said, adding that "nothing is as profitable as peace".

"If they were looking for a secure place in terms of peace and things will be in order technically, they will not be surprised by any political events, so they were looking for a predictable environment, then Budapest seems like a logical choice," he said.

The prime minister said he was told by Trump on October 16, that a meeting of the US secretary of state and the Russian Foreign Minister was on the agenda.

When asked about picking Hungary as the location, Trump said at a joint press conference with Ukraine's leader on October 17, that "Hungary has a leader we like. "We love Viktor Orban, he loves him, I love him," referring to Putin.

The US president said Budapest was chosen as the venue because Hungary is "a safe country, very well run," and "free from many of the problems other countries face," and that Orban would be "a very good host."

When asked why Hungary remains reliant on Russian energy despite US pressure on other countries, Trump said Hungary's dependence stems from its "special situation" as a landlocked country that relies on a single oil pipeline.

Trump's White House aides were not that cordial to US media. When HuffPost asked who suggested Budapest for the venue, given that Russia promised not to invade Ukraine in the 1994 Budapest memorandum, Karoline Leavitt responded, "Your mum did."

By October 19,  more details emerged from the Friday meeting between the US President and the Ukrainian leader. The Financial Times reports that Donald Trump has urged  Volodymyr Zelensky to accept Russia's conditions and has reportedly pressed Zelensky to hand over the entire eastern Donbas region to Russia. Trump reiterated several arguments similar to those made by Putin in a phone conversation the previous day, financial website Portfolio.hu recalls.

The Financial Times said Putin, during his October 16 with Trump, offered to cede small parts of the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions in exchange for the much larger Donbas territories currently under Ukrainian control. This represents a scaled-back version of Moscow's 2024 demand for Kyiv to surrender all of Donbas as well as Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, a total area of roughly 20,000 sqkm.

In an interview with NBC News' Meet the Press, the Ukrainian leader said he is prepared to attend the planned peace talks in Budapest and called on Donald Trump to adopt a tougher approach towards Russia. The Ukrainian leader described Putin as a "terrorist" but expressed readiness for direct talks, saying, "If we really want just and lasting peace, we need both sides." Zelensky also reaffirmed that Ukraine would not cede additional territory, insisting peace talks must be held "not under missiles, not under drones."

In spite of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin, Hungary will not detain him during his planned visit, Hungary's chief diplomat said.

Szijjarto stated that the Hungarian government guarantees Putin unhindered entry and exit from Hungary and will ensure the success of his negotiations. He emphasised that no consultation with other parties is required, as Hungary is a sovereign state.

The EU ban on Russian air traffic could complicate and prolong Putin's trip to Budapest. Because security rules require him to travel on the Russian presidential plane, Putin would need special clearance to cross EU or NATO airspace to come to Budapest.

Likely routes could involve detours through Turkey, Bulgaria and Serbia, or through Turkey, Greece and Montenegro, as overflight through Ukraine or Poland is seen as impossible, BBC writes.

Speaking to MK.ru, Russian security expert Alexander Kotz suggested a route crossing the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Serbia, possibly via Bosnia-Herzegovina, as the safest option for Putin.

According to EU officials, member states may individually grant overflight or landing permission to Putin if he chooses not to travel through Ukraine or via a Balkan detour. Politico noted that under EU sanctions law, national authorities can make exceptions to the Russian airspace restrictions if such flights are deemed necessary for humanitarian or compatible purposes.

Local media, citing security experts say Budapest has had experience hosting high-profile events, but the summit poses unprecedented security challenges.

Preparations for the summit are underway in Budapest. The operation involves Hungarian police, counter-terrorism units, armed forces, cyber experts, and the US and Russian security services. Preparatory talks begin this week, and the capital will face road closures and transport disruptions during the summit.

The official venue is yet to be announced, with multiple locations under consideration.