File photo: Theresa may and Saudi crown prince
British Prime Minister Theresa May plans to raise the killing of Jamal Khashoggi and the situation in Yemen with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G20 summit in Argentina, she said on Thursday.
The visit by the prince, the kingdom's de facto ruler, to the summit of industrialized nations is fraught with controversy over the killing of Saudi journalist Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October.
The killing of the Washington Post columnist, a critic of the crown prince, has strained Saudi Arabia’s ties with the West and battered Prince Mohammed’s image abroad. Saudi Arabia has said he had no prior knowledge of the murder.
“I am intending to speak with the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. The message that I give will be very clear ... on this issue of Jamal Khashoggi but also on the issue of Yemen,” she told reporters on the flight to Buenos Aires.
“We want to see a full and transparent investigation in relation to what happened and obviously those responsible being held to account,” she said on Khashoggi's killing.
Western nations are calling for an end to the Saudi-led military campaign in neighboring Yemen, which was launched by Prince Mohammed, as a humanitarian crisis there worsens.
"On the issue of Yemen, we continue to be deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation,” May said. “The long term solution for the Yemen is a political situation and we will be encouraging all parties actually to look for that and work for that.”
U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly canceled a planned meeting with his Russian counterpart Friday on the margins of the upcoming G20 summit in Argentina, citing ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine."Based on the fact that the ships and sailors have not been returned to Ukraine from Russia, I have decided it would be best for all parties concerned to cancel my previously scheduled meeting in Argentina with President Vladimir Putin," Trump said on Twitter.Still, Trump held out hope for a future bilateral meeting with Vladimir Putin, saying he looks "forward to a meaningful Summit again as soon as this situation is resolved!"NATO to assess presence in Black Sea amid Azov crisisThe announcement came hours after he told reporters at the White House he would "probably be meeting with President Putin" at the G20, shortly before departing for Buenos Aires, Argentina, where the two-day summit will take place beginning Friday"We haven’t terminated that meeting. I was thinking about it, but they’d like to have it. I think it's a very good time to have the meeting," he said before making the surprise declaration while aboard Air Force One.On Sunday, Russia seized two Ukrainian navy ships and a navy tugboat along with two dozen crew members off the Crimean Peninsula, accusing Kiev of entering its waters and provoking a conflict.Ukrainian leader says Putin wants his whole country, asks for NATO helpUkraine accuses Russian warships of opening fire on the ships without cause, asserting that crew members were wounded and vessels were seized by Russia unlawfully.Russia and Ukraine have been at loggerheads since 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea after a controversial referendum.The international community continues to view the annexation as illegal, and the election Russia uses to justify its seizure as illegitimate.Russia deploys new S-400 missile systems in Crimea
Trump cancels G20 Putin meeting over Ukraine
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed cooperation between the two countries in security, energy and investments, the Saudi press agency (Spa) said early on Friday.The two leaders, who met in the prince's residence in Buenos Aires, also discussed Saudi Arabia's readiness to supply India with all its needs of oil and petroleum products and Saudi oil giant Aramco's investments in the fields of oil refining and oil storage in India, SPA said. The crown prince and Modi also agreed on investing in solar energy, it added.Erdoğan arrives in Argentina to attend G20 summitArgentine judge reviewing complaint against bin Salman seeks info from Yemen, Turkey
Saudi crown prince meets India's Modi in Argentina