US president Donald Trump has cancelled highly anticipated talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin due to his failure to free three Ukrainian naval boats and 24 crewmen that his forces captured in the Sea of Azov. The announcement came about one hour after Mr Trump had said outside the White House: “I think it’s a very good time to have the meeting. First it was Crimea, then eastern Ukraine, now [Putin] wants the Sea of Azov. Germany, too, has to ask itself: what will Putin do next if we do not stop him?” he added. Dr Merkel also called for commercial ships to be given access to Ukrainian ports on the Sea of Azov, which Russia and Ukraine share as territorial waters under a 2003 treaty.

Source: The Irish Times November 30, 2018 00:00 UTC