Trump threatens to cancel Putin meeting over Ukraine crisis
President Trump says his scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit may not happen after Russia seized Ukrainian naval vessels and their crews; reaction from Rep. Adam Kinzinger, Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The Kremlin said Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is still planning to meet with President Trump on Saturday at the G-20 summit in Argentina, even after Trump said he may not meet with his Russian counterpart after Russia seized Ukrainian naval vessels on Sunday.
"Preparations are continuing. The meeting has been agreed. We have no other information from our U.S. counterparts," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state media.
Trump told The Washington Post that he may not meet with Putin after Russian forces fired on Ukrainian naval vessels and seized their crews as they were sailing through the Kerch Strait, near Crimea.
“I am getting a report on that tonight and that will determine what happens at the meeting,” Trump said. “I’m getting a full report on that tonight. That will be very determinative. Maybe I won’t have the meeting. Maybe I won’t even have the meeting. We’re going to see, depending on what comes out tonight.”
He later told the Post that “I don’t like that aggression.”
TRUMP THREATENS TO CANCEL PUTIN MEETING AMID RUSSIA-UKRAINE TENSIONS
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Wednesday the Trump is receiving "regular briefings on the Russia/Ukraine situation from his national security team."
On Monday, the president said the U.S. did not approve of escalating violence between Russia and Ukraine, but didn't specifically call out Russia's behavior.
"We do not like what's happening, either way, we don't like what's happening and hopefully it will get straightened out," he said, hours after U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley condemned Russia for their "outrageous violation of sovereign Ukrainian territory" that marked "yet another reckless Russian escalation."
Trump and Putin had been originally scheduled to meet in Paris earlier this month.
Fox News’ Amy Kellogg, Kelly Chenernkoff and Nicole Darrah contributed to this report.
