Warsaw: Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Wednesday voiced skepticism over reported plans by the White House to hold possible Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Hungary's capital, Budapest. Citing the city's symbolic weight, Tusk recalled that Ukraine had already received security assurances there under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which was later violated by Moscow.

According to Anadolu Agency, Tusk expressed his concerns on US social media company X, highlighting historical precedents that make Budapest a contentious choice for the peace talks. "Not everyone may remember this, but in 1994 Ukraine already got assurances of territorial integrity from the US, Russia and the UK in Budapest. Maybe I'm superstitious, but this time I would try to find another place," Tusk stated.

The 1994 agreement, known as the Budapest Memorandum, saw Kyiv surrender what was then the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal, estimated at about 1,900 strategic warheads, in exchange for guarantees of sovereignty and territorial integrity from the US, UK, and Russia. However, these assurances were breached when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.

Budapest is among several venues floated for potential negotiations between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The talks could also involve US President Donald Trump, adding another layer of complexity to the choice of location for these critical discussions.