Trump scraps plan to meet with Putin
BUENOS AIRES — President Trump abruptly canceled a planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin as he headed to the Group of 20 Nations summit Thursday, citing Russia’s seizure of Ukrainian vessels as a source of tension in a relationship he has fostered in the face of criticism.
Trump tweeted his decision from Air Force One shortly after his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, revealed he had lied to Congress to cover up that he was negotiating a real estate deal in Moscow on Trump’s behalf during the Republican presidential primary in 2016.
The news ensured any meeting with Putin would spotlight the special counsel’s investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow during the campaign. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and on Thursday called Cohen a “weak person” looking for a reduced sentence.
The last-minute move kicked off a global economic meeting expected to be dominated by Trump’s seat-of-hispants diplomacy. The Putin meeting — a continuation of a controversial summit between the two in July — was just one of a series of high-stakes items on Trump’s agenda, which also includes talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on how to ease a rising trade war.
Although Trump had previously floated canceling the meeting with Putin, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters he did not make the final decision until boarding the plane for Argentina and speaking with national security adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The Kremlin said it had not been formally notified of the decision, which came hours after Moscow said the meeting was on track.
“I look forward to a meaningful Summit again as soon as this situation is resolved!” Trump tweeted from Air Force One.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko praised Trump on Twitter, saying, “This is how great leaders act!”
Sanders also said two of Trump’s planned bilateral meetings — with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and South Korea’s Moon Jae-in — had been canceled. Trump will instead speak informally with those leaders at the conference. She did not offer any explanation for those changes to the schedule.
The stakes for the sitdown between Putin and Trump were raised this week by Russia’s stepped-up aggression in the Kerch Strait, stemming from its years long occupation of Eastern Ukraine. Russia recently seized three Ukrainian vessels and crews. Russia said Ukraine didn’t have permission to pass between Russia’s mainland and the Crimean Peninsula. Ukraine insisted its vessels abided by maritime laws.
Tensions had already been high over the war in Syria and allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential race. Trump has sought to improve the relationship with Putin, but was roundly criticized after the July summit in Helsinki for failing to publicly denounce Russia’s interference and appearing to accept Putin’s denials of such activity.
While Trump’s statement was strongly worded, he has made similarly dramatic moves before only to walk them back. In the spring he canceled a planned summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, only to revive the meeting a week later.