EditAnalyse this: Bulgaria offers airspace to Putin – before he even asks
In contrast, Romania's Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu said Moscow would have to ask first if it planned to fly over its territory
Bulgaria has said it is ready to grant Russian President Vladimir Putin overflight rights to reach Budapest for his planned meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump – even before Moscow officially requests it.
Speaking after the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg in front of the national broadcaster BNR, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev said that if the condition for peace efforts in Ukraine is for a meeting to take place, “it is only logical that such a meeting should be facilitated in every possible way.” Asked directly whether this meant Bulgaria would open its skies to Putin’s plane, Georgiev replied tersely: “How else could the meeting take place if one of the participants cannot reach it?”
In contrast, Romania’s Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu said Moscow would have to ask first if it planned to fly over its territory.
📹My answer concerning the possibility of the President of the Russian Federation overflying Romanian airspace. pic.twitter.com/s8bTgmSvb9
— Toiu Oana (@oana_toiu) October 20, 2025
Georgiev’s remarks immediately stirred controversy at home. Former ambassador to Moscow, now a media publisher and commentator Iliyan Vassilev described Georgiev’s statements as “utterly unprofessional” and called him “unfit for the post,” arguing that Bulgaria risks undermining both its EU commitments and its international credibility.
The diplomatic puzzle of Putin’s flight
The question of how Putin might reach Hungary for a potential “peace summit” with Trump has created unease within the EU. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko confirmed over the weekend that contacts had not yet begun with Bulgaria, Poland or Romania regarding overflight permission for the Russian presidential aircraft, adding laconically: “It’s too early.”
Indeed, the Budapest meeting is an idea, presumably coming from Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, which could ultimately not materialise.
In case the meeting would be confirmed, the most convenient route for Putin’s plane would overfly the Black Sea, Bulgaria, Serbia and into Hungary – a corridor that largely avoids EU states hostile to Moscow. However, the path is fraught with political and legal complications.
Since March 2023, Putin has been the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes. Bulgaria, as a signatory to the ICC statute, is technically obliged to detain him if he enters its jurisdiction – including its airspace.
Moreover, the European Union adopted sanctions in February 2022 banning all flights to and from Russia, prohibiting Russian aircraft from landing in, taking off from, or overflying EU territory, and similarly restricting EU airlines from operating to, from, or over Russia.
Brussels distances itself
The European Commission has clarified that it does not have the authority to approve or deny any such overflight. “Member states can grant derogations individually,” Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper said on 17 October when asked about the issue. The Commission did not explicitly say it would refrain from creating obstacles for Putin’s plane but emphasised that the decision rests entirely with each national government.
In parallel, Brussels reminded that while Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have their EU assets frozen, there is no formal travel ban against them. That technical detail provides Hungary and any cooperating states with some legal leeway – but also places the political burden squarely on them.
Poland draws a red line
Poland, however, has already made clear that it will not grant access to its airspace. Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said that if Putin attempted to fly over Polish territory en route to the Budapest summit, his aircraft could be “forcibly landed” so that the Russian president could be handed over to the ICC.
“We cannot guarantee that an independent Polish court would not order the government to bring down such a hypothetical plane,” Sikorski said. Polish diplomatic sources told RMF24 that Warsaw prefers not to even consider the scenario, describing it as “letting sleeping dogs lie.”
“I doubt Putin would want to fly over Poland,” a senior Polish diplomat remarked wryly, alluding to the 2010 Smolensk air crash that killed President Lech Kaczyński – an event still surrounded by suspicions of Russian involvement.
Another EU diplomat admitted that the potential Budapest meeting creates a “lose–lose situation” for the region. “If we refuse, Trump will pressure us and say Putin is coming for peace talks. If we agree, we’ll be accused of accommodating a war criminal,” he said.
Budapest’s defiance
For Hungary, hosting the summit is a political triumph. Orbán hailed the prospect of the Trump-Putin meeting as “great news for peace-loving people around the world.” “We are ready,” he posted on X, confirming he had spoken by phone with Trump and that “preparations for the USA–Russia peace summit are underway.”
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó went even further, declaring: “We will guarantee that he [Putin] will enter Hungary, have successful talks here, and then return home. There is no need for consultations with anyone – we are a sovereign country.”
Hungary’s readiness to defy the ICC is consistent with its announced plan to withdraw from the court altogether, freeing Orbán from legal constraints that bind other EU members.
As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted, “Budapest is not the best place for such talks,” citing Hungary’s position on Ukraine. Yet, in a phone call with Trump, he confirmed he would be willing to meet Putin there if it helps advance peace.
Sources: BNR, European Pravda, Airlive.net
Caption: Russian President Vladimir Putin disembarks from a plane upon arrival at the airport of Yakutsk, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russia, 18 June 2024. EPA/SERGEI KARPUKHIN / SPUTNIK / KREMLIN POOL
Updated: October 21, 2025 - 13:13
