Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that he would have made the same decision as President Barack Obama did in canceling a trip to Asia to address pressing domestic issues.
“We see what is happening in U.S. domestic politics and this is not an easy situation,” Putin said at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit (APEC), as quoted by Reuters. “I think the fact that the U.S. president did not come here is quite justified.”
“I think that if I was in his situation, I would not come either,” he continued. “Any head of state would do that, probably.”
Obama canceled travel to Indonesia for the APEC due to the government shutdown. Secretary of State John Kerry attended the summit in his place.
