As Ukraine-Russia ceasefire talks gain momentum, all eyes are on whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will agree to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Russia has not given a clear stance on attending the summit, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stating that Moscow must be part of any international talks on Ukraine’s security. “To discuss security guarantees seriously without Russia is a road to nowhere,” Lavrov said during a working visit to Jordan.
That said, talks are already on the potential venue for the talks between the heads of state of the two warring nations. The options are limited as Putin has an arrest warrant, issued by the ICC, pending on charges of war crimes. The White House is also actively looking to secure a meeting location and date.
The possible options are:
1) Switzerland
Known for its neutral stance, Switzerland is already a potential host, as finding literal common ground between the US, Russia, Ukraine, and possibly European states won't be easy in the current context. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told DW that Berlin had no ambitions to host and pointed to Switzerland as somewhere that has "always been good in the past." Switzerland has already expressed willingness to host Putin, though it is an ICC signatory. “The goal of receiving Mr. Putin in Switzerland without him being arrested is one hundred percent achievable,” Cassis told Swiss national broadcaster SRF.
2) Budapest
The US is in favour of this option as Hungary recently withdrew from the ICC. While Russia too seems to favour Budapest, Polish President Donald Tusk reminded people about an ill-fated event related to Ukraine. He put up a post on X, reminding people that Ukraine had already been granted ill-fated security guarantees in the Hungarian capital back in 1994. That year, Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons in exchange for security assurances from the US, Russia, and the UK. "Maybe I'm superstitious but this time I would try to find another place," Tusk wrote.
As for Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, he is one of the few friends Putin has in Europe.
3) Austria
Austria is a willing player. "We stand ready to offer our good services," Chancellor Christian Stocker posted on X. Experts say though Austria considers itself as a bridge builder between east and west, it too shares the ICC dilemma.
4) Turkey
Turkey is actively working to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has positioned himself as a potential mediator. Its advantages are that it straddles Europe and Asia and shares warm relations with Russia. Putin had earlier thanked Erdogan for "efforts to facilitate Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul."
5) Saudi Arabia/ Qatar
Both Saudi Arabia and Qatar are potential candidates for hosting the peace talks. They have track records as international negotiators, and neither is a member of the ICC.