A spokesperson for Ursula von der Leyen said any meeting toward a just peace is welcome but mainstream EU political parties and experts alike are divided on the benefits of the talks, Euronews reports.
The European Commission cautiously welcomed the announcement by US President Donald Trump to hold talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Budapest in the coming two weeks to advance a possible end to the war in Ukraine.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was quick to declare the surprise choice of Budapest to hold the meeting as a vindication of his calls on EU leaders to negotiate with Moscow instead of confrontation as the full-scale invasion of Ukraine rages.
Orbán, who is close to both Trump and Putin, exclaimed that "Hungary is the island of PEACE" in a post on X on Friday, adding that his country was "the only place in Europe" where such a summit could take place.
The European Commission adopted a prudently positive tone about the meeting announcement.
"Any meeting that moves forward just and lasting peace in Ukraine is welcome," Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said.
