Trump hopes Ukraine-Russia confrontation is 'straightened out'

Trump hopes Ukraine-Russia confrontation is 'straightened out'

WASHINGTON, Nov. 26, 2018 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before departing from the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on Nov. 26, 2018. Donald Trump said here on Monday that he hopes the current confrontation between Ukraine and Russia will get "straightened out." (Xinhua/Ting Shen/IANS)

WASHINGTON, Nov. 26, 2018 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before departing from the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on Nov. 26, 2018. Donald Trump said here on Monday that he hopes the current confrontation between Ukraine and Russia will get "straightened out." (Xinhua/Ting Shen/IANS)

Washington, Nov 27 (IANS) US President Donald Trump said here on Monday that he hopes the current confrontation between Ukraine and Russia will get "straightened out".

Speaking to reporters before leaving the White House for campaign rallies, Trump said that "we do not like what's happening either way. And hopefully it will get straightened out," Xinhua news agency reported.

He added that European leaders and the United States were working on the situation, noting "they're not thrilled. They are working on it. We're all working on it together".

Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin were set to meet later in Argentina on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Argentina.

The Ukrainian Navy said on Sunday that Russian forces opened fire and seized three Ukrainian ships near the Kerch Strait, which separates the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

Six Ukrainian military sailors were wounded in the attack and two of them were in serious condition, the Ukrainian Navy said.

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said that three Ukrainian ships, namely Berdyansk, Nikopol and Yany Kapu, breached the Russian border and conducted dangerous maneuvers in spite of orders of the accompanying vessels from the FSB and Russia's Black Sea Fleet.

An emergency meeting of the UN Security Council was called on Monday over the escalating situation.

Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations who chaired the meeting, told the UN Security Council that China has noted the altercation between Russian and Ukrainian naval ships, adding that China is "concerned with the tension arising thereof".

"China hopes and calls for the relevant parties to exercise restraint to avoid any further escalation of tension and properly resolve the relevant issues through dialogues and consultations," said Wu.

--IANS

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