Kremlin says Trump, Putin have agreed to meet at G-20 summit on Saturday

MOSCOW – President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will hold a one-on-one meeting at noon on Dec. 1 at the G-20 Summit in Argentina, the Kremlin said on Thursday, citing Washington.

A day earlier, Trump previously cast the Buenos Aires sit-down into doubt, telling The Washington Post he might cancel seeing Putin after Russia seized Ukrainian vessels and crew over the weekend, sparking global condemnation and a sharp escalation in tensions between the neighbors.

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

"Washington has confirmed," he added.

They will discuss strategic security, bilateral relations, disarmament and regional conflicts, Peskov said. "This is in the interests not only our two countries, but the world at large."

While Russia's maritime maneuvers have been sharply criticized by senior U.S. and Western officials, who have called on Russia to release 24 captured sailors, Trump has been more reticent on the issue.

Following the meeting between the leaders, American and Russian delegations will meet with each other for talks that may last an hour, Peskov added.

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The Washington Post's Natalia Abbakumova contributed reporting.

The Washington Post