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Lavrov says won’t even guess when Putin could hold talks with Trump

The two leaders planned to hold a full-fledged meeting in Buenos Aires at the G20 summit, but on the eve of the event Trump announced its cancellation via Twitter

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, December 2. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has refused to even guess when Russian and US Presidents, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, could hold full-fledged talks, following the US leader’s cancellation of the meeting in Buenos Aires.

Answering a question on when the two leaders could hold a full-fledged meeting Russia’s top diplomat told the program "Moscow. Kremlin. Putin" on Rossiya 1 TV channel on Sunday: "I won’t even guess."

Lavrov also refused to make any suggestions on whether the Kerch incident with Ukraine’s vessels was a provocation aimed at disrupting the talks between Putin and Trump. "I do not back the conspiracy theory and any conspiracy deliberations," he noted. "But lately there have been too many coincidences, when ahead of significant events a provocation takes place, which is used to whip up the sanctions rhetoric."

"Now, UK Prime Minister Theresa May, who has nearly left the European Union, demands that Brussels should worsen its policy on Russia," Lavrov said.

The two leaders planned to hold a full-fledged meeting in Buenos Aires at the G20 summit, but on the eve of the event Trump announced its cancellation via Twitter over the recent incident with Ukraine’s vessels in the Kerch Strait. However, during the summit the two presidents had a brief conversation, Putin told reporters. The Russian president explained to Trump his view of the incident in the Black Sea even though Trump has a different position on the matter.

On November 25, three warships of the Ukrainian Navy violated the rules of passage through Russia's territorial waters while en route from the Black Sea to the Azov Sea. The Russian side had to use weapons to compel the ships to stop. Three Ukrainian servicemen were lightly wounded. They received medical assistance. The ships were detained and escorted to the port of Kerch. A criminal case was launched on border violation charges.

Moscow described the incident as a provocation. The Ukrainian authorities declared martial law. The EU and NATO called for de-escalation of the situation.