Vladimir Putin has cancelled a visit to Paris after the Kremlin accused France of seeking to humiliate the Russian leader. Hollande had suggested he might refuse to meet Putin, who was due to fly to France next week, and planned to downgrade the trip to a “working visit based on Syria”. He said Putin “doesn’t have any problems” with the cancellation, and said the president remained “ready to visit Paris whenever it is comfortable for President Hollande”. Ayrault had previously said that if Hollande met Putin in Paris he would “give a few home truths and not chit-chat”. “Merkel invited Putin to dine in Berlin in place of talks with Hollande,” read a headline on the newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets website.

Source: The Guardian October 11, 2016 09:30 UTC