Trump Cancels Planned Putin Meeting

Trump Cancels Planned Putin Meeting During Talks With NATO Chief

U.S. President Donald Trump met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Washington, Orda.kz reports.

During the talks, Trump announced that he had canceled a previously scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that was to take place in Budapest.

According to Trump, the decision was based on a lack of progress in previous discussions.

He did not rule out the possibility of holding such a meeting in the future.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury Department announced new sanctions against Russian oil companies Rosneft, Lukoil, and their subsidiaries, citing "Russia's lack of serious interest in the peace process."

Trump’s Key Statements During His Meeting With Mark Rutte:

• Trump believes that Russia is seeking to establish control over all of Ukraine’s territory
  
• Washington sells weapons to NATO member states, but not directly to Ukraine
  
• According to Trump, Ukraine uses only European missiles for strikes deep into Russia
  
• The U.S. president called on both sides to “fix their positions on the front and cease hostilities”
  
• Trump expressed hope that new sanctions against Russia “won’t last too long”
  
• He added that Chinese leader Xi Jinping could play a key role in resolving the conflict
  

Just the day before, Russia held a scheduled strategic nuclear forces exercise under the supervision of President Vladimir Putin.

Original Author: Rustam Muratov