ProtonPunk
Well-known member
Russia's "Flying Kremlin" - a modified Ilyushin Il-96 airliner with four engines and bristling with defense systems - has been the subject of speculation over its potential use for Vladimir Putin's journey to Budapest, where he plans to meet US President Donald Trump.
If Putin decides to fly through EU airspace to reach Budapest, he would need special dispensation as Russian planes are banned from the area. It is not clear whether Hungary, which is one of NATO member states and a close ally of Russia, would be willing to give consent for the overflight. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that Putin's meeting with Trump could still take place "in the most suitable way".
The EU executive commission has expressed its support for a peaceful resolution in Ukraine and welcomed President Trump's efforts towards that end. However, it seems unlikely that the bloc would create obstacles to the planned summit.
If Putin decides to fly through EU airspace, he may need to take a circuitous route via countries like Bulgaria or Romania. Serbia, with which Russia has strong ties, is another possible destination for the plane.
The plan to hold a high-profile international summit in Budapest does not appear to be without its challenges. European leaders have expressed concerns over Vladimir Putin's relations with EU countries, particularly Hungary.
Hungary and its leader Viktor Orban are unlikely allies of the EU on this issue. The country has long had close ties with Russia, and Orban is known for his right-wing views and anti-EU stance. He has stated that he believes in a "peaceful process" that excludes Brussels' backing of Ukraine.
It remains to be seen how Putin will manage to get his plane through EU airspace on the way to Budapest without creating unnecessary complications.
If Putin decides to fly through EU airspace to reach Budapest, he would need special dispensation as Russian planes are banned from the area. It is not clear whether Hungary, which is one of NATO member states and a close ally of Russia, would be willing to give consent for the overflight. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that Putin's meeting with Trump could still take place "in the most suitable way".
The EU executive commission has expressed its support for a peaceful resolution in Ukraine and welcomed President Trump's efforts towards that end. However, it seems unlikely that the bloc would create obstacles to the planned summit.
If Putin decides to fly through EU airspace, he may need to take a circuitous route via countries like Bulgaria or Romania. Serbia, with which Russia has strong ties, is another possible destination for the plane.
The plan to hold a high-profile international summit in Budapest does not appear to be without its challenges. European leaders have expressed concerns over Vladimir Putin's relations with EU countries, particularly Hungary.
Hungary and its leader Viktor Orban are unlikely allies of the EU on this issue. The country has long had close ties with Russia, and Orban is known for his right-wing views and anti-EU stance. He has stated that he believes in a "peaceful process" that excludes Brussels' backing of Ukraine.
It remains to be seen how Putin will manage to get his plane through EU airspace on the way to Budapest without creating unnecessary complications.
The whole situation with Russia's "Flying Kremlin" airliner is looking pretty sketchy, don't you think? 
I mean, if Putin does decide to fly through EU airspace, it's gonna be a big ask of Hungary and the rest of the EU countries to grant special dispensation. 
And with Orban being super anti-EU on this issue, it's hard to see how that's gonna work out. 
Maybe taking a detour via Bulgaria or Romania would be a safer bet? 
And what about the Ukraine situation - does anyone really think that won't come up at this summit? 
Maybe it's just better to stick with a more traditional route and avoid all the drama? 
What do you guys think? 
. Like, isn't he just gonna take some normal flight route or something? I mean, sure, Russia has a modified plane with all sorts of defense systems, but what's the big deal? It's not like he's gonna use it to blast any EU planes out of the sky 
. And honestly, if Hungary doesn't want to let him fly over, can't they just say no and be done with it? I don't get why everyone's making such a fuss about it 
. It's just a plane, right?
And if Hungary is gonna be a part of it, that's like, two whole different levels of trouble... Viktor Orban, the leader of Hungary, he's got some pretty extreme views, you know? Like, against EU and Ukraine stuff. What if this summit just causes more problems instead of solving them? 
. It's gonna be interesting to see how Putin navigates this, especially considering Hungary's stance on EU-Russia relations. The fact that they're close allies of Russia is definitely a point of contention 
. One thing for sure, though – this summit in Budapest is going to be full of drama 
its so shady, you know? 
. I don't know how Orban would react if Putin just flew in without asking first... will he even listen to him? 
Can't they just get along for one day without talking about Ukraine and stuff? 
. And oh man, if Putin decides to fly through EU airspace... how do you even get permission for that? 
. And what about all the other EU countries? They're already on edge with Ukraine... this is just gonna be a headache to deal with 
. its gonna be a long day in budapest if he tries to fly thru eu airspace 
? Please, Hungary's got more loyalty to Russia than they do to the EU! 
. One thing's for sure, Trump and Putin are gonna have some interesting conversations about Ukraine 
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. And let's not forget Trump's involvement - is this all just some massive chess game between Russia and the West? 
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. Not to mention the fact that Orban's right-wing views and anti-EU stance are already causing some eyebrows to be raised among European leaders 
, and what's up with eu leaders being all meh about him showing up in budapest? shouldn't they be like "oh no, russian president is coming over" 
.
