Latvia does not see the possibility of granting permission for the flight of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin through its airspace, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported, commenting on the initially planned but subsequently unconfirmed meeting of the U.S. and Russian presidents in Budapest.
The ministry stated that Latvia supports Trump’s efforts to end Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. At the same time, the ministry notes that there is currently nothing indicating Russia and Putin's readiness to constructively engage in a meaningful peace process. Russia continues to intensify air attacks against Ukraine, killing innocent civilians and damaging civilian and critical infrastructure.
"Latvia does not see the possibility of granting permission for a flight through its airspace to a person who made the decision to start a war in Ukraine and is responsible for gross violations of international law by Russia, including war crimes in Ukraine," the ministry reported.
As previously reported, an initial meeting between Trump and Putin was planned in Budapest to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. When exactly this will take place was not reported, and it was also unclear how exactly Putin plans to reach the capital of Hungary, as European restrictions on the passage of Russian aircraft over European Union countries are in effect.
However, on Tuesday, a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that Trump does not plan to meet with Putin in the near future, making this statement just days after Trump announced that he would meet with Putin in Budapest within two weeks.
Since his return to the White House earlier this year, Trump has sought to achieve a swift end to the war initiated by Russia against Ukraine, insisting on holding a series of direct negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian officials and hosting Putin at a summit in Alaska, but these diplomatic efforts have not led to any breakthrough.
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