El País: Upcoming Putin–Trump meeting in Budapest alarms Brussels

The upcoming meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump in Budapest is being described as a “political nightmare” for the European Union.

According to El País, citing several EU sources, the very fact that the summit will take place in the Hungarian capital reflects “disregard for Europe” and places other EU leaders, as well as the top leadership of the Union and NATO, in an awkward and embarrassing position.

Officials in Brussels publicly maintain that the summit could be beneficial if it contributes to progress in resolving the conflict in Ukraine, the newspaper reports.

“Privately, several sources describe it as a ‘political nightmare’ for the Union,” El País notes.

In the outlet’s view, the meeting between the Russian president and the head of the White House could turn into a victory for the Kremlin leader.

By Vugar Khalilov