MOSCOW, November 29. /TASS/. Outstanding issues must be clarified at personal meetings, and that is why US President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel a meeting with President Putin was a missed chance to discuss acute issues, the head of the Russian upper house’s international affairs committee, Konstantin Kosachev, said on Thursday.
"It is erroneous to think that the Russian side needed this meeting more, as disputable issues, including such serious incidents at sea, must be cleared up exactly at such personal meetings," the Federation Council senator said.
"That is why, the refusal to meet is an opportunity that not Putin, but Trump missed to discuss outstanding issues and demonstrate independence of foreign policy," Kosachev blogged in his Facebook account.
According to him, the refusal to meet with Putin was predictable "right from the moment when the American leader made this conditional on the study of the Kerch Strait incident".
"Thus, he made himself hostage to Western versions of the Kerch incident. And this means Trump has not left himself space to maneuver, which he himself hardly finds pleasant," the senator added.
US President Donald Trump decided to cancel his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Argentina after speaking with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and National Security Adviser John Bolton.
Kerch Strait incident
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) reported on November 25 that the Ukrainian warships, the Berdyansk, the Nikopol and the Yany Kapu had breached the Russian state border on Sunday morning and later attempted to carry out illegal maneuvers in Russia’s territorial waters later. The Ukrainian vessels ignored the legitimate demands of the Coast Guard of the FSB Border Service and the Black Sea Fleet to immediately halt, and stop performing dangerous maneuvers. As a result of blatantly disregarding the orders, a chase involving some gunfire ensued in order to stop the Ukrainian ships, which were detained in Russian territorial waters.
Moscow branded Kiev’s maneuvers in the Kerch Strait as a dangerous provocation, while the European Union and NATO called for a de-escalation of tensions.