Kremlin Says Putin To Skip UN General Assembly

Russian President Vladimir Putin waits to address the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly at the UN in New York in September 2015.

The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the United Nations General Assembly later this month.

Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, was quoted by state media on September 2 as saying that the Russian leader does not intend to travel to New York for the General Assembly, which is set to convene September 12.

"No, this is not in the president's plans," Peskov told the state-run TASS news agency.

The general debate at the assembly is set to kick off on September 19, when U.S. President Donald Trump is slated to deliver his first address to the 193-member body.

Trump is scheduled to host an event at UN headquarters in New York a day earlier.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will lead Moscow's delegation to the General Assembly, which he is set to address on September 21, TASS reported.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, TASS, and RIA Novosti