Support The Moscow Times!

Foreign Ministries Deny Russian Expulsion From G8

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius speaking at an event in September 2009. MEDEF / Flickr

(Updated March 18, 2014, 7:45 p.m.)

A number of G8 members have distanced themselves from an earlier statement made by the French foreign minister, who said that Russia's participation in the body had been suspended in response to Moscow's actions in Crimea.

France, the U.S., Britain, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada have already? pulled out of preparations? for a G8 summit set to be held in Russia in June, but on Tuesday Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius pushed the envelope further, telling Europe-1 radio that "it is envisaged that all the other countries, the seven leading countries, will unite without Russia.”

Britain, Germany and Japan have since said that they were unaware that a suspension had been agreed on, however.

“The G7 collectively made clear last week that we would take further action should the Russian Federation seek to annex Crimea?€?, the British Foreign Office said in a statement, adding that any? decision regarding Russia's membership has yet to be made, The Associated Press reported.

Fabius' statement came after it was reported that he and French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian would not go to Moscow to meet with their Russian counterparts Sergei Lavrov and Sergei Shoigu.

The meeting was scheduled to take place on Tuesday and no new date for the meeting has been proposed.

Fabius said that visiting Moscow at this time would create "the impression that we support" Russian actions in Crimea, "and this is not so."

However, Fabius said that "we are continuing dialogue with the Russians, despite the fact that we do not agree with them," Interfax reported.

An unidentified Russian diplomat told Reuters on Monday about the postponement after President Vladimir Putin recognized Crimea as a sovereign state.

Fabius warned Russia that it is isolating itself and faces "economic catastrophe" if it does not stand down.

The U.S. and European Union on Monday? imposed sanctions? on more than a dozen Crimean and Russian officials involved in setting up Sunday's referendum in Crimea, in which the peninsula voted to become part of Russia.

President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday? signed an agreement? to annex Crimea in a move widely condemned by the West and the interim government in Kiev.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more