Donald Trump cast into doubt a key component of his upcoming trip to an international summit in Argentina as he suggested on Tuesday he might cancel his planned sit-down with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Russia’s seizure of three Ukrainian naval ships last weekend.

In an interview with The Washington Post, the US president said he would be receiving a "full report" from his national security team on Russia’s recent actions in eastern Ukraine and the Black Sea. He said he would decide on a course afterward.

"Maybe I won’t have the meeting," he said. "Maybe I won’t even have the meeting."

Mr Trump added: "I don’t like that aggression. I don’t want that aggression at all."

The comments were Mr Trump’s strongest to date in condemnation of Russia’s recent actions in Ukraine, where tensions are flaring. But White House aides were still planning for the Putin meeting after Mr Trump’s comments.