G20 summit
Putin and Saudi prince linked to murder share a G20 high-five
REACHING out for a high-five with smiles on their faces, Vladimir Putin and Saudi leader Mohammed bin Salman greet each other in extraordinary scenes at the G20 summit yesterday.
The men – both accused of being complicit in killings – acted like old friends as US President Donald Trump looked on in Argentina.
Prince Mohammed is currently mired in accusations he ordered the killing of Saudi regime critic Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey last month, while Russian president Putin’s government has been linked to the near-fatal poisoning of ex-KGB spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury.
He has also overseen the annexing of Crimea from Ukraine – a conflict that has
UKRAINE yesterday banned all Russian men aged 16-60 from entering the country in a bid to stop ‘private armies’ being formed on its territory.
It comes after Ukraine imposed martial law to prevent a possible land invasion by Russia which earlier seized three Ukrainian naval ships and their crews near Crimea.
Foreign ministers from the G7 group yesterday called on Russia to release the ships and crew.
left as many as 10,000 dead. But both men seemed to shrug off the international condemnation they have faced as they joined other world leaders at the summit.
The prince, 33, had been cutting a lone figure until Mr Putin arrived, holding out his hand and sitting next to him.
The Russian leader, 66, was one of a number of dignitaries to meet the prince, including Theresa May.
The Prime Minister earlier told how she would pull no punches in their talks as she demanded a ‘full and credible’ investigation into the murder of Mr Khashoggi, a journalist for the Washington Post.
Mrs May said: ‘It is the relationship we have with Saudi Arabia that enables me to sit down with him and be robust on our views on two issues. First of all the terrible killing of Jamal Khashoggi. The message I will be giving...is that the Saudi Arabians need to ensure that their investigation is a full
investigation, that it is credible, that it is transparent and that people can have confidence in the outcome of it – and that those responsible are held to account.
‘But I will also be raising the situation in the Yemen where the humanitarian crisis is getting
worse. We are very concerned about that.’ The Saudis have been accused of fuelling civil war in Yemen where up to 10,000 people have died. Mrs May stressed: ‘We are a major donor to the Yemen, but we believe that now is the time – there
is an opportunity to find a solution.’ Mr Trump was also seen in a ‘friendly’ meeting with the prince, with the President saying they exchanged pleasantries but ‘had no discussion’. However, the Saudi leader was sidelined during the official ‘family photo’ of world
leaders, standing at the far edge of the group portrait and ignored. Mr Trump could yet have an ‘impromptu’ meeting with Mr Putin at the summit, Kremlin- owned media claimed last night. He had cancelled their official get-together due to the crisis in Ukraine.