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 Meeting in Brussels rather than the Black Sea resort of Sochi - a
snub to Russia which was supposed to have hosted the G8 - Western
powers and Japan delivered strong rhetoric, even if the EU's
commitment to further sanctions remains in doubt.
"We are united in condemning the Russian Federation's continuing
violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,"
the United States, Germany, Japan, France, Britain, Italy and Canada
said in a joint statement.
"Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea, and actions to destabilize
eastern Ukraine, are unacceptable and must stop."
That message was reinforce by President Barack Obama, who said
Russia's economy was already suffering and would only suffer more if
Putin did not change behavior.
"If Russia's provocations continue, it's clear from our discussions
here that the G7 nations are ready to impose additional costs on
Russia," he said. "Today, in contrast to a growing global economy, a
sluggish Russian economy is even weaker because of the choices made
by Russia's leadership."
Putin, who will meet Germany's Angela Merkel, French President
Francois Hollande and Britain's David Cameron on the sidelines of
70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in France on Friday, appeared
unfazed by the threats.
Asked at an event in St. Petersburg how he felt about being excluded
from the G8 for the first time since joining the club in 1997, Putin
was typically pointed, barely breaking stride to speak to Kremlin
reporters as he left a meeting.
"I would like to wish them bon appetit," he said, before walking
away swiftly.
It appears unlikely that Obama and Putin will talk in France.
"Should we have the opportunity to talk, I will be repeating the
same message that I've been delivering to him throughout this
crisis," Obama said.
WIDESPREAD CONDEMNATION
With Putin not at the table, the G7 leaders chose to criticize
Russia either by name or implicitly for its actions on several
fronts, including Syria and energy policy.
On Syria, the G7 "deplored" a decision by Russia and China to veto a
draft UN Security Council resolution involving crimes committed by
both sides in the conflict, and on energy policy it highlighted the
problem of countries using energy as a weapon.
"The use of energy supplies as a means of political coercion or as a
threat to security is unacceptable," the statement said.
Since Russia supplies around a third of Europe's gas and oil needs
and has threatened to cut off supplies to and through Ukraine if it
does not settle outstanding bills, the reference was clearly
directed at Moscow.
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Yet despite efforts to present a united front against Russia's
seizure of Crimea and its tacit support for actions in eastern
Ukraine, there remain chinks in the G7's armor when it comes to
hitting where it hurts.
France, which has come under pressure from the United States to
cancel a contract to sell Russia two Mistral warships, appeared to
win the argument, with Obama acknowledging that the deal would
probably go ahead despite his objections.
Merkel also gave Hollande support, saying that since the EU was not
yet ready to impose tougher economic sanctions against Russia, there
was no reason for France to cancel contract.
Japan, which geopolitically has less interest in Ukraine, struck a
conciliatory note, saying dialogue with Russia remained the best
approach.
"I want Russia to be involved in various issues concerning the
international community in a constructive manner," Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe said. "That's what the world desires too. To this end I'm
hoping to continue dialogue with President Putin."
EU leaders said they would closely monitor Russia's actions over the
coming weeks and take a decision at a summit at the end of June on
whether there was a need for further measures.
"Should events so require, we stand ready to intensify targeted
sanctions and to consider additional measures," said European
Council President Herman Van Rompuy, who chairs EU summits and
coordinates the position of EU member states.
"The European Council will assess the situation at the end of June.
The day after tomorrow in France individual G7 leaders will convey
this message to President Putin."
(Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton, Julia Fioretti, Robin
Emmott, Andreas Rinke, Tom Koerkemeier. Editing by Mike Peacock)
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