Relations between G7 and Russia at their worst

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS - In Brief 07 May 2024 by Alex Teddy

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On May 6 the ambassador was spoken to in the Russian Foreign Ministry because of statements made by their governments. London maintains that its ambassador was not summoned but attended an ordinary diplomatic meeting. The British Foreign Secretary said that it did not object to Ukraine's using British-donated weapons to attack Russia. Moscow said this could lead to Russia's destroying British military assets in Ukraine or outside Ukraine. It warned that Britain may bring catastrophe on itself. Russia has repeatedly said that the United Kingdom and the US are coming close to being belligerents in the Ukraine War. France is the most vociferously pro-Kyiv. That is despite Macron's seeking to mediate an end to the war in 2022 that did not humiliate Russia. He has talked about sending French troops to Ukraine. Relations between Russia and the G7 are at their worst since the Cold War. However, G7 countries do not have total sanctions on Russia. They export pharmaceuticals, chemicals and machinery to Russia. Japanese tobacco companies are involved in the Russian market. The United Kingdom is still buying Russian oil that has been refined in third countries such as China and India. Russia was a member of the G8 as it was until the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014. Japan has very poor relations with Russia. Tokyo perceives Russia as an ally of the two anti-Japanese states: China, and worst of all, North Korea. Japan still claims the Kurile Islands, which the Soviets took from Japan in 1945. Relations between Japan and Russia were not bad until 2022.