Can Poland forcefully land Putin’s plane: what are the legal grounds?
21 October 2025 23:38
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said that a plane carrying dictator Vladimir Putin could be forced to land if he decides to fly to Budapest via their country. He said this on the TVP Info channel, commenting on information about a possible visit of the Russian dictator to Budapest, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
Why Poland may delay Putin’s plane
According to Sikorski, an independent Polish court may decide to arrest Putin if he is on the territory of the country or in its airspace. Poland is a member of the ICC and has legal obligations under international law.
“We cannot guarantee that an independent court will not order the Polish government to stop the plane with Vladimir Putin on board, which would have to enter Polish airspace to transfer the suspect to the International Criminal Court,” the minister emphasized.
Vladimir Putin has been under an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague since 2023 on suspicion of committing war crimes.
Can Putin’s plane ever get to the EU?
Since 2022, the European Union has closed its airspace to Russian aircraft. This makes Putin’s official flight to Hungary extremely problematic.
Possible routes that are being discussed are
- Turkey – Montenegro – Serbia – Hungary
- Bypassing EU airspace through the Balkans.
However, even in this case, crossing the airspace of NATO member states could be grounds for legal action.
Why Putin’s visit to Hungary causes outrage in the EU
Sikorski explicitly stated that Putin’s invitation to an EU member state is a step that demonstrates Hungary’s isolation from the Western community.
“However, the fact that an EU member state, which is still bound by the International Criminal Court, invites President Putin is not only unpleasant, but also shows that Hungary is positioning itself not as part of the West, but between the West and Russia,” the Polish foreign minister emphasized.
Hungary:
- blocks financial and military assistance to Ukraine;
- continues to buy Russian oil;
- demonstrates political loyalty to the Kremlin.
Watch us on YouTube: important topics – without censorship
International legal context
In March 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin for the illegal export of Ukrainian children.
Every country that has ratified the Rome Statute is obliged to detain him if he appears on its territory.
Poland is a party to this statute, unlike Hungary, which formally ratified the document but does not comply with its provisions.
Bulgaria to allow Putin’s plane to fly to Budapest summit
Bulgaria will provide Russian President Vladimir Putin with an air corridor to arrive in Budapest for a possible meeting with US President Donald Trump. This was stated by Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev during a meeting of the EU Council in Luxembourg.
“When efforts are being made to achieve peace, if a meeting is a condition for this, it is most logical that such a meeting be organized in all possible ways,” BNR quoted him as saying.
When asked directly whether this meant that Bulgaria would provide a corridor, Georgiev replied: “How can a meeting be held if one of the participants cannot come to it?”
Read us on Telegram: important topics – without censorship
