Putin Discussed Kerch Strait Incident With G20 Colleagues - Russian Finance Minister

Russian President Vladimir Putin has discussed the incident in the Kerch Strait at a meeting with other G20 leaders, paying a special attention to an objective interpretation of these events, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said Saturday.

BUENOS AIRES (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st December, 2018) Russian President Vladimir Putin has discussed the incident in the Kerch Strait at a meeting with other G20 leaders, paying a special attention to an objective interpretation of these events, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said Saturday.

"The negotiations that our president has held with partners, colleagues, were largely devoted to this issue and to an objective interpretation of these events. As it becomes clear, the objectivity of events was not always present in the logic of those who evaluate this event as a step to cool our relationship," Siluanov told reporters on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

Relations between Russia and the United States became even more complicated after the incident, Siluanov noted.

"Indeed, the relationship between our country and the United States became more complicated due to events that took place in the Black Sea. There were several reports on this subject," Siluanov said, answering whether the cancellation of talks between Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump on the sidelines of the event brings the possibility of introduction of new US sanctions against Russia.

According to Siluanov, everyone agreed that these events should be fully investigated and the objective situation on them should be reported to the leaders.

Earlier, Trump cancelled a meeting with Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit due to an incident in the Kerch Strait.

The incident in the Kerch Strait took place last Sunday. Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has said that the Ukrainian Berdyansk and Nikopol gunboats and the Yany Kapu tugboat illegally crossed the Russian maritime border as they sailed toward the Kerch Strait, the entrance to the Sea of Azov. The Ukrainian vessels were seized by Russia after failing to respond to a demand to stop. In response to the situation in the Kerch Strait, the Ukrainian authorities have introduced martial law in select regions of Ukraine along the border with Russia as well as the coasts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov for 30 days.

Putin called the incident a provocation, noting that there were two officers of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) in the Ukrainian ships' crew, who actually led this special operation. At the same time, Putin stressed that the Russian border guards did what they must do to protect the state border. He linked the provocation in the Black Sea to low rating of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in light of the upcoming presidential election. Putin noted that Poroshenko may not even get to the second round, so he needs to do something to aggravate the situation and create insurmountable obstacles for his competitors, primarily from the opposition.