What is going on?

WHATEVER HAPPENED TODAY, THERE HAS BEEN A TOTAL NEWS BLACKOUT AS I'M SURE IT'S NONE OF OUR BUSINESS. 

VLADIMIR Putin pulled out of an event in Moscow today - at the same time US Vice President Mike Pence was abruptly called back to Washington over an "undisclosed emergency".

The Russian leader is thought to have cancelled his schedule for the evening and is urgently meeting with his defence minster Sergei Shoigu.

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Mike Pence, right, and Vladimir Putin, met in November 2018 at the 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)Credit: Getty - Contributor

Mr Pence was due in New Hampshire today but his jet turned back and he is said to be at the White House.

The announcements came at exactly the same time but it is not clear if the two are linked.

The White House and the Kremlin would not say the reason for the change of plans.

The news comes hours after the fire on board a Russian submarine left 14 dead after they were poisoned by fumes.

In the US, Air Force 2, carrying Mike Pence, 60, was said to have been turned around and returned to Washington.

“There’s been an emergency callback,” Randy Gentry, a representative from Pence’s office, told the crowd.

“The vice president was asked to return to Washington so at this time we’re going to cancel today’s event.”

A White House spokesman said: “Something came up that requires the VP to remain in DC. There is no cause for concern.”

However Alyssa Farah, Mike Pence's spokeswoman, later denied there was ever an "emergency callback" and stated that Mr Pence never left Washington.

In a Twitter message she wrote: "The @VP never left Washington DC. There was no "emergency callback". Something came up that required the VP to stay in DC. We'll reschedule NH [New Hampshire] shortly."