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Russia suspended from G-8, says French foreign minister
AP
Russia's President Vladimir Putin. — File photo by AFP
Updated 2014-03-18 16:41:36
PARIS: France's foreign minister says that leaders of the Group of Eight world powers have suspended Russia's participation in the club amid tensions over Ukraine and Russia's incursion into Crimea.
The other seven members of the group had already suspended preparations for a G-8 summit that Russia is scheduled to host in June in Sochi.
France's Laurent Fabius went further Tuesday, saying on Europe-1 radio that ''concerning the G-8 ... we decided to suspend Russia's participation, and it is envisaged that all the other countries, the seven leading countries, will unite without Russia.''
Fabius did not give further details.
The US and European Union on Tuesday announced new sanctions against Russia over itsactions in the Crimean Peninsula.
The sanctions followed a referendum in the Crimean region whose results showed 96.77 per cent of voters in the mostly Russian-speaking region of Ukraine had opted for Kremlin rule in what would be the most radical redrawing of the map of Europe since Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia.
The West and Ukraine have described the Crimea referendum as illegitimate.
Earlier on March 15, Russia vetoed a Western-backed resolution condemning the Crimea referendum at a UN Security Council emergency vote, but China abstained, isolating Moscow further on the Ukraine crisis.
Putin approves draft bill for Crimea annexation
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a draft bill on Tuesday for the annexation of Crimea, a key move in a flurry of steps to formally take over the Black Sea peninsula.
Russia's Constitutional Court and the Kremlin-controlled parliament are expected to quickly endorse the move. Some lawmakers said that Crimea could be made part of Russia by the end of the week.
The decree signed by Putin and posted on the official government website Tuesday morning is one of the steps to formalise the annexation of Crimea. Putin was set to address both houses of the parliament at 3 pm Moscow time (1100 GMT) in a nationally televised speech where he was widely expected to stake Russia’s claim on Crimea and spell out his further policy in the Ukrainian crisis.
Putin has warned that he would be ready to use “all means” to protect Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine, and Russia has built up its forces alongside the border between the two countries, raising fears of an invasion.
AP
Russia's President Vladimir Putin. — File photo by AFP
Updated 2014-03-18 16:41:36
PARIS: France's foreign minister says that leaders of the Group of Eight world powers have suspended Russia's participation in the club amid tensions over Ukraine and Russia's incursion into Crimea.
The other seven members of the group had already suspended preparations for a G-8 summit that Russia is scheduled to host in June in Sochi.
France's Laurent Fabius went further Tuesday, saying on Europe-1 radio that ''concerning the G-8 ... we decided to suspend Russia's participation, and it is envisaged that all the other countries, the seven leading countries, will unite without Russia.''
Fabius did not give further details.
The US and European Union on Tuesday announced new sanctions against Russia over itsactions in the Crimean Peninsula.
The sanctions followed a referendum in the Crimean region whose results showed 96.77 per cent of voters in the mostly Russian-speaking region of Ukraine had opted for Kremlin rule in what would be the most radical redrawing of the map of Europe since Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia.
The West and Ukraine have described the Crimea referendum as illegitimate.
Earlier on March 15, Russia vetoed a Western-backed resolution condemning the Crimea referendum at a UN Security Council emergency vote, but China abstained, isolating Moscow further on the Ukraine crisis.
Putin approves draft bill for Crimea annexation
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a draft bill on Tuesday for the annexation of Crimea, a key move in a flurry of steps to formally take over the Black Sea peninsula.
Russia's Constitutional Court and the Kremlin-controlled parliament are expected to quickly endorse the move. Some lawmakers said that Crimea could be made part of Russia by the end of the week.
The decree signed by Putin and posted on the official government website Tuesday morning is one of the steps to formalise the annexation of Crimea. Putin was set to address both houses of the parliament at 3 pm Moscow time (1100 GMT) in a nationally televised speech where he was widely expected to stake Russia’s claim on Crimea and spell out his further policy in the Ukrainian crisis.
Putin has warned that he would be ready to use “all means” to protect Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine, and Russia has built up its forces alongside the border between the two countries, raising fears of an invasion.
