New Delhi:
As a fallout of US President Donald Trump cancelling their meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, it is unlikely that the two are going to meet anytime in the near future. The meeting was scheduled to take place on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina.
The Russian and the US administrations were in contact after Donald Trump called off his meeting with Vladimir Putin on Thursday, but the two sides reached no agreement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by Russian media as saying, the ANI reported. Peskov confirmed that the two leaders had a brief contact in Buenos Aires but didn’t disclose anymore.
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Trump cancelled the meeting with Putin because of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine confrontation regarding the Sea of Azov. On November 25, Russia captured three Ukrainian naval ships after they allegedly entered the former’s territory. Ukraine said that the firing on their ships by Russia was a gross violation of international law, while Russia said the vessels violated its territorial waters.
This made Ukraine impose a martial law in its border areas with Russia according to which former will not allow Russian men aged 16-60 into the country. However, an exception would be made for "humanitarian cases" such as those travelling to funerals. Russia, on the other hand, said it is not planning retaliatory measures. Martial law has been imposed in 10 Ukrainian regions until December 26.
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Peskov said that both Russia and the US needed the meeting equally and that it cannot be preconditioned. He also added that Putin had explained the situation in the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov to French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in their meetings in Buenos Aires, but Trump missed the opportunity to understand the situation.
