The Kremlin said Thursday that Washington confirmed a one-on-one meeting between President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin at the Group of 20 summit in Argentina, but Trump later announced that he was canceling the meeting.

In a tweet from Air Force One en route to the summit in Buenos Aires, Trump blamed the cancellation on Russia's seizure of Ukrainian ships and sailors over the weekend.

Trump had previously cast the Buenos Aires sit-down into doubt, telling The Washington Post he might cancel seeing Putin after Russia's naval action sparked global condemnation and a sharp escalation in tensions between the neighbors. But he seemed to reverse course as he left the White House on Thursday, telling reporters that the meeting with Putin was still on.

Shortly afterward, however, Trump tweeted: "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. I look forward to a meaningful Summit again as soon as this situation is resolved!"

Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow: "We are expecting the two presidents to speak briefly at first, but everything is left to the discretion of the heads of state."

As he left the White House on Thursday en route to Argentina, Trump said: "I probably will be meeting with President Putin. We haven't terminated that meeting." He added that he would be getting a "finalized report" on Ukraine while on the plane.

Peskov said the agenda for the meeting scheduled for Saturday between Putin and Trump included strategic security, bilateral relations, disarmament and regional conflicts. "This is in the interests of not only our two countries, but the world at large," he said.

He said American and Russian delegations would also convene for talks that may last an hour. It was not immediately clear whether those talks were still on.

The crisis between Russia and Ukraine has continued to deepen. Kiev is hoping Trump will push Putin on the confrontation, which began Sunday when Russia fired on Ukrainian ships trying to enter the Kerch Strait, a crucial waterway separating the Black and Azov seas.

But while Russia's maritime maneuvers have been sharply criticized by senior U.S. and Western officials, Trump has been more reticent on the issue. He stopped short of condemning Russia, instead saying, "I don't like that aggression."

Limited martial law in Ukraine is in place for 30 days, and Russia said Wednesday it was strengthening air defense and early warning radar systems on the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine four years ago.

The Kremlin also scoffed at an appeal by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko for NATO to reinforce the Azov Sea with naval ships, saying this was yet another provocation by Kiev designed to further escalate the situation.

Kiev is banking on its Western allies to provide military support to contain Russia, which it says is preparing to invade its territory by land. The latest crisis threatens to significantly worsen the conflict. Fighting in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces has resulted in the deaths of 10,300 people.

There have been widespread calls for Russia to immediately release 24 Ukrainian sailors it captured, and some European leaders have called for fresh sanctions against Russia.

But Russia, for the most part, has shrugged off Western pressure. Russia maintains that the crisis was created by Poroshenko for political gain. The deeply unpopular leader could seek reelection in a vote in March.

The Washington Post's Natalia Abbakumova in Moscow and John Wagner and William Branigin in Washington contributed to this report.

First published in The Washington Post </s> President Donald Trump canceled his planned bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which was slated to take place Saturday during the G-20 Summit in Argentina.

Trump indicated that the move was in response to the Russia’s seizing three Ukrainian ships and imprisoning 24 sailors in the Sea of Azoz, near the Crimean Peninsula, over the weekend.

He tweeted news of the cancellation from onboard Air Force One on his way to Buenos Aires.

“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,” Trump wrote.

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

Prior to leaving for his trip, Trump sounded more positive that the meeting with Putin would take place during an exchange with reporters at the White House.

“I probably will meet with President Putin,” he said. “We haven’t terminated the meeting. I was thinking about it, but we haven’t. They’d like to have it. I think it’s a very good time to have the meeting.”

However, Trump offered the caveat, “I’m getting a full report on the plane as to what happened with respect to that, and that will determine what I’m going to be doing.”

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters traveling with the president that Trump’s decision was made after conferring with Chief of Staff John Kelly, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton.

Sanders added that Russia had been made aware of the decision.

“A Kremlin spokesperson told a Russian state media outlet that if the meeting was off, Putin would have several hours freed up for other important meetings,” USA Today reported.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were looking to Trump to take a much tougher stance toward Putin than he did during his Helsinki Summit with the Russian leader in July.

“It’s just about standing up for what we believe in because I think when you don’t stand up to Russia, or other countries that would take that kind of aggressive activity, they take from it that it’s somehow acceptable,” Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told USA Today.

The top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, feels the cancellation means a lost opportunity.

“I would have liked him to meet Putin and challenge Putin, to find his spine as it relates to Putin’s violation of the international order,” Menendez told CNN. “What I wouldn’t want to see is another Helsinki performance. This was (Trump’s) opportunity to redeem himself…and instead he’s abdicating it.”

CNBC reported that Bolton said on Tuesday that Trump and Putin had planned to continue discussions begun in Helsinki on issues concerning arms control and other security issues.

Trump’s decision comes the same day special counsel Robert Mueller entered into a new plea agreement with former Trump personal attorney Michael Cohen. Cohen pleaded guilty to making false statements to Congress about a Moscow building project the Trump Organization was considering in early 2016.

Mueller made news two days before Trump was slated to meet with Putin in July by announcing the indictments of 12 Russian agents for allegedly interfering in the 2016 election.

The effect, then as now, was to raise the profile of the Russia investigation just as Trump was preparing to meet with the Russian leader.

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards. </s> President Donald Trump canceled his planned bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which was slated to take place Saturday during the G-20 Summit in Argentina.

Trump indicated that the move was in response to the Russia’s seizing three Ukrainian ships and imprisoning 24 sailors in the Sea of Azoz, near the Crimean Peninsula, over the weekend.

He tweeted news of the cancellation from onboard Air Force One on his way to Buenos Aires.

“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,” Trump wrote.

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

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Prior to leaving for his trip, Trump sounded more positive that the meeting with Putin would take place during an exchange with reporters at the White House.

“I probably will meet with President Putin,” he said. “We haven’t terminated the meeting. I was thinking about it, but we haven’t. They’d like to have it. I think it’s a very good time to have the meeting.”

However, Trump offered the caveat, “I’m getting a full report on the plane as to what happened with respect to that, and that will determine what I’m going to be doing.”

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters traveling with the president that Trump’s decision was made after conferring with Chief of Staff John Kelly, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser John Bolton.

Sanders added that Russia had been made aware of the decision.

“A Kremlin spokesperson told a Russian state media outlet that if the meeting was off, Putin would have several hours freed up for other important meetings,” USA Today reported.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were looking to Trump to take a much tougher stance toward Putin than he did during his Helsinki Summit with the Russian leader in July.

“It’s just about standing up for what we believe in because I think when you don’t stand up to Russia, or other countries that would take that kind of aggressive activity, they take from it that it’s somehow acceptable,” Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told USA Today.

The top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, feels the cancellation means a lost opportunity.

“I would have liked him to meet Putin and challenge Putin, to find his spine as it relates to Putin’s violation of the international order,” Menendez told CNN. “What I wouldn’t want to see is another Helsinki performance. This was (Trump’s) opportunity to redeem himself…and instead he’s abdicating it.”

CNBC reported that Bolton said on Tuesday that Trump and Putin had planned to continue discussions begun in Helsinki on issues concerning arms control and other security issues.

Trump’s decision comes the same day special counsel Robert Mueller entered into a new plea agreement with former Trump personal attorney Michael Cohen. Cohen pleaded guilty to making false statements to Congress about a Moscow building project the Trump Organization was considering in early 2016.

Mueller made news two days before Trump was slated to meet with Putin in July by announcing the indictments of 12 Russian agents for allegedly interfering in the 2016 election.

The effect, then as now, was to raise the profile of the Russia investigation just as Trump was preparing to meet with the Russian leader.

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards. </s> BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — The Latest on President Donald Trump at the Group of 20 summit (all times local):

President Donald Trump is meeting Argentine President Mauricio Macri as he kicks off two days of diplomacy at the G-20 meeting.

The leaders greeted each other warmly Friday as the annual meeting of leaders from rich and developing nations opened in Buenos Aires. Trump spoke about his longtime personal friendship with Macri and said they would discuss trade, military purchases and other issues.

Macri is hosting his counterparts as he struggles with a raft of domestic issues, including trying to halt economic turmoil that has caused the steep depreciation of the Argentine peso.

Trump and Macri enjoy a personal relationship dating back to their days as businessman.

Macri visited the White House soon after Trump took office in 2017.

President Donald Trump is blasting the investigation in which his former lawyer pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about a Moscow real estate deal he pursued for Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Michael Cohen says he lied to be consistent with Trump's "political messaging." Trump says Cohen is lying now.

In a tweet Friday from Argentina, Trump recalled "happily living" his life as a developer before running for president after seeing the "Country going in the wrong direction."

Trump says "Against all odds" he decided to run for president and continue to run his business, which he calls "very legal & very cool." He says he "talked about it on the campaign trail."

Trump tweets he "Lightly looked at doing a building somewhere in Russia. Put up zero money, zero guarantees and didn't do the project. Witch Hunt!"

President Trump kicks off two days of diplomacy at the Group of 20 summit in Argentina on Friday after his abrupt decision to cancel a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin overshadowed the proceedings before they even started.

Trump barreled into the two-day meeting by announcing via Twitter that he was canceling on Putin over Russia's seizure of Ukrainian vessels. His agenda Friday is expected to include meetings with world leaders, the signing of a revamped trade deal with Canada and Mexico, as well as a number of group activities for the gathering of rich and developing nations.

Coming into this G-20, Trump faces a series of diplomatic challenges — most notably whether he can strike an agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping (shee jihn-peeng) to ease trade tensions.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> MOSCOW (Reuters) - The United States has confirmed that a meeting in Argentina between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin would go ahead on Saturday at a G20 summit, the Kremlin said on Thursday.

The meeting was thrown into doubt on Tuesday when Trump said he might cancel it after Russia seized three Ukrainian naval vessels at the weekend. </s> MOSCOW (AP) — The Latest on the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin (all times local):

President Donald Trump is repeating his denials of any Russian election interference as details are released on his upcoming summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The White House and the Kremlin announced Thursday that the two leaders would meet in Helsinki on July 16.

Ahead of the announcement, Trump tweeted, "Russia continues to say they had nothing to do with Meddling in our Election!"

Trump has continually parroted the Kremlin's denial of interference in the 2016 elections. That move has put him out of step with the findings of the U.S. intelligence community and nearly all Democrats and Republicans in Congress who say there is clear evidence of Russian efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign.

The Kremlin and the White House say the summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump will take place in Helsinki on July 16.

The synchronized announcement comes a day after Trump's National Security Adviser John Bolton held talks with Russian officials in Moscow to lay the groundwork for the summit.

Trump said Wednesday that "getting along with Russia and with China and with everybody is a very good thing." He said they would discuss Syria, Ukraine and "many other subjects."

The Russian leader had two brief meetings with Trump on the sidelines of international summits last year, but plans for a full-fledged summit have been thrown back amid the U.S. investigations into alleged collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia.

Moscow says the top Russian and U.S. diplomats are likely to meet to set the stage for a summit between President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is likely to meet with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo within two weeks. Ryabkov said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies Thursday that Moscow already has made a proposal regarding the specifics of the meeting and is waiting for Washington's answer.

Trump told reporters that he'll probably meet with Putin during a July trip to Europe. He mentioned Helsinki, Finland, and Vienna, Austria, as possible venues, adding that he would be receiving an update from his adviser, John Bolton, who visited Moscow Wednesday to lay the groundwork for the summit.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday suddenly canceled a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin scheduled for this week's Group of 20 industrialized nations summit in Argentina, citing the current Ukraine crisis.

"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. I look forward to a meaningful Summit again as soon as this situation is resolved!" Trump tweeted after departing for the G20 summit.

Trump's tweet was a sudden turnaround. Roughly an hour earlier, he had told reporters he would probably meet with Putin at the summit and said it was "a very good time to have the meeting."

But Trump had also said he would get a final report during the flight to Argentina on the tension in the region after Russia seized Ukrainian vessels near Crimea on Sunday.

Differences over Ukraine, as well as Moscow's role in the civil war in Syria, have been an irritant in U.S.-Russian relations for years.

The administration of former President Barack Obama imposed sanctions on Russia for its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. That in part brought ties between Washington and Moscow to their lowest point since the end of the Cold War.

Since then, the United States has investigated Russia's possible interference in the 2016 presidential election that Trump won. Russia has denied meddling and Trump has repeatedly said there was no collusion.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. </s> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday suddenly canceled a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin scheduled for this week’s Group of 20 industrialized nations summit in Argentina, citing the current Ukraine crisis.

“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. I look forward to a meaningful Summit again as soon as this situation is resolved!” Trump tweeted after departing for the G20 summit.

Trump’s tweet was a sudden turnaround. Roughly an hour earlier, he had told reporters he would probably meet with Putin at the summit and said it was “a very good time to have the meeting.”

But Trump had also said he would get a final report during the flight to Argentina on the tension in the region after Russia seized Ukrainian vessels near Crimea on Sunday.

Differences over Ukraine, as well as Moscow’s role in the civil war in Syria, have been an irritant in U.S.-Russian relations for years.

The administration of former President Barack Obama imposed sanctions on Russia for its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. That in part brought ties between Washington and Moscow to their lowest point since the end of the Cold War.

Since then, the United States has investigated Russia’s possible interference in the 2016 presidential election that Trump won. Russia has denied meddling and Trump has repeatedly said there was no collusion. </s> President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will meet next month in Helsinki, the capital of Finland, Fox News reported Thursday.

The report, which could not be immediately verified by USA TODAY, came a day after officials in both countries said the leaders will meet in a "third country," perhaps Finland or Austria.

The Trump-Putin summit would be tacked onto Trump's pre-scheduled trip to Europe on July 10-14, officials said, though specific details have yet to be nailed down.

"I can say that we have reached an agreement to hold a summit, we have even agreed on the time and the place of the meeting, and we will announce this obviously with our American colleagues tomorrow," Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters in Moscow on Wednesday.

While Ushakov would not identify the "third country" in which the meeting will be held, Trump told reporters at the White House that Helsinki and Vienna, Austria, are finalists.

The Kremlin made the announcement Wednesday as National Security Adviser John Bolton visited Moscow to work out the details of a summit designed to discuss the disputes between the two countries.

“Both President Trump and President Putin think they may be able to find constructive solutions," Bolton told reporters. "I’d like to hear someone say that’s a bad idea."

In addition to planning the Trump summit, Putin and Bolton discussed Russian involvement in Ukraine, the Syria civil war and efforts to denuclearize North Korea, all of which are expected to be subjects at the summit, officials said.

The Russian leader also denied allegations that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election that elected Trump, the Kremlin said.

Trump has denied any collusion with Russians during his 2016 campaign, and Bolton echoed that denial. "People have said or implied over time that a meeting between President Trump and President Putin would somehow prove some nexus between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin, which is complete nonsense," he said.
After Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the summit is still on, while flying to Argentina, President Trump tweets that, after conferring with his top National Security advisers, he decided to cancel the meeting, adding that it was not a good time since Russia has not returned the ships and sailors to Ukraine. Less than an hour earlier, Trump said that he would "probably" meet Putin and that he believed it was "a good time to have the meeting."