Trump Abruptly Cancels Meeting With Putin

By Washington Times. President Trump on Thursday said he was canceling plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin because of escalating military tension in Crimea.

The announcement tweeted from Air Force One in route to the G20 summit in Argentina was an abrupt reversal of comments just 40 minutes earlier, when Mr. Trump said he would probably go through with the meeting.

“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,” the president said in a series of tweets.

He added, “I look forward to a meaningful Summit again as soon as this situation is resolved!” . . .

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news services that the Kremlin learned of the cancelation from Mr. Trump’s tweet and had not received formal notification. (Read more from “Trump Cancels Meeting With Putin” HERE)

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Trump Cancels G-20 Meeting With Putin, Citing Ukraine Crisis; Decision Follows Michael Cohen Guilty Plea in Russia Probe

By CNBC. President Donald Trump on Thursday abruptly canceled his meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin at this weekend’s G-20 summit in Argentina.

Trump in two tweets blamed the cancellation of Saturday’s expected encounter with Putin on the failure of Russia to return three ships and their sailors seized from Ukraine last weekend in the Black Sea.

But the social-media scuttling of the sitdown came an hour after he personally told reporters that he would probably meet with Putin.

And it came just two hours after Trump’s ex-lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about the president’s involvement in an aborted real estate deal in Moscow.

(Read more from “Trump Cancels G-20 Meeting With Putin, Citing Ukraine Crisis; Decision Follows Michael Cohen Guilty Plea in Russia Probe” HERE)

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