Trump will not meet Putin on the sidelines of the G20 Summit: Sanders

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The U.S President Donald Trump has canceled his scheduled meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit over the recent naval confrontation between Moscow and Ukraine. The officials of Trump administration have blamed the clash in which Russian border guards fired on 3 Ukrainian ships and seized a number of crew members. Russian officials earlier said that the meeting was confirmed by the White House in spite of the clash in the Sea of Azov off the Crimean Peninsula on Sunday. Trump informed reporters before boarding his flight to the summit in Argentina that he still planned on meeting with Putin.

The White House press secretary Sarah Sanders later informed reporters on Air Force One that the president has decided to cancel the meeting after taking off. Trump also tweeted on Thursday, “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. I look forward to a meaningful Summit again as soon as this situation is resolved”!

The government of Ukraine labeled the Crimean incident as an Act of Aggression and made the rare move to impose martial law in parts of the country that could be under threat from a Russian attack. The decision of Trump also comes as a U.S federal investigation into Russian election meddling and potential Trump campaign ties to Moscow are intensifying. Trump has previously said that he was awaiting a Full Report on the incident. The U.S State Department spokesperson has said that the United States would like to see tougher enforcement of sanctions on Russia.