Russia is putting on a brave face after U. S. President Donald Trump abruptly junked a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It’s all about internal U. S. politics and „anti-Russian hysteria,“ Russian officials shrug.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Russia is putting on a brave face after U. S. President Donald Trump abruptly junked a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It’s all about internal U. S. politics and „anti-Russian hysteria,“ Russian officials shrug.
But Trump’s snub was a clear kick to Putin just as he arrived at a Group of 20 summit where Western leaders banded together to denounce Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
So Putin turned elsewhere for attention.
He subbed Turkey’s president for the time slot he had reserved for Trump, and sought to strengthen his alliance with China and other non-Western economies. And he cozied up at Friday’s round-table talks to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, somewhat of a fellow outcast at the G-20 over his suspected role in the killing of a dissident Saudi journalist.
Putin and Trump „said hi to each other,“ according to the Russian leader’s spokesman — but didn’t shake hands or otherwise interchange, even during the „family photo“ when leaders rub elbows as they get into place and usually exchange small talk.
Putin himself hasn’t publicly addressed Trump’s rejection, but hinted at the potential fallout if the leaders of the world’s two biggest nuclear powers can’t talk to each other: Putin said in Buenos Aires that the U. S. intention to opt out of a Cold War-ear nuclear pact „creates risks of an uncontrollable arms race.“
As the summit opened, European leaders lined up to criticize what one called Russia’s „aggression“ on Ukraine — the weekend seizure of Ukrainian ships and crew members near Crimea.
