President Donald Trump suddenly canceled a meeting planned for Saturday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Buenos Aires during the upcoming G20 meeting over Russia's seizure of Ukrainian vessels and personnel, according to NBC News.
Earlier on Thursday, Trump told reporters he was waiting for more information on the situation in Ukraine to make a final decision on the G20 meeting with Putin.
"I will probably be meeting with President Putin," Trump said just before leaving the White House. "We haven’t terminated that meeting. I was thinking about it but they’d like to have it. I think it's a very good time to have the meeting."
But he later said he would cancel that meeting unless Putin took actions to decrease tensions between Kiev and Moscow.
"Based on the fact that the ships and sailors have not been returned to Ukraine from Russia, I have decided it would be best for all parties concerned to cancel my previously scheduled meeting in Argentina with President Vladimir Putin," Trump wrote in a tweet. "I look forward to a meaningful Summit again as soon as this situation is resolved."
The tweet came just hours after Trump's longtime personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty in federal coourt to lying to Congress about his efforts to develop a Trump Tower in Moscow during the 2016 presidential campaign in relation to the ongoing investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
Russia rammed, opened fire, and seized Ukrainian ships and 24 sailors who were operating in the Kerch Strait, a pivotal maritime route between Russia and Crimea.
Russia is already under international sanctions for annexing Crimea in 2014.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called on NATO to deploy naval ships to help "provide security" in the Sea of Azov and instututed martial law in portions of Ukraine.
While the U.S. has refused to recognize Russia's claim to Crimea, Trump has previously questioned the opposition to the annexation from other Western leaders.
The Republican President has long been criticized for his soft stance on Russia, particularly in the wake of reports of its interference in the 2016 presidential election and continued military aggression in Ukraine.
Russia has already put the 24 detained Ukrainian sailors under two-month pre-trial detention, with some already being trasnported to Moscow, according to their lawyers who spoke to Agence France-Presse.
During Trump and Putin's last meeting in Helsinki in July, Trump drew heavy criticism for taking Putin at his word about whether or not Moscow interfered with the previous presidential election, even though U.S. intelligence agencies disputed that claim.
U.S. national security adviser John Bolton said the two leaders would cover a number of topics in their meeting.
“I think all of the issues that we have, on security issues, on arms control issues, on regional issues, including the Middle East – I think it will be a full agenda. I think it will be a continuation of their discussion in Helsinki.”
Putin is also planning to meet the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is facing potential legal action in Argentina from a prosecutor who could bring charges of crimes against humanity for the civilian deaths for the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen and the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
-WN.com, Maureen Foody
Photo:
AP / Darko Vojinovic
