BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s foreign minister says Russia’s return to the top diplomatic table depends on the success of a peace initiative for Ukraine.
Russia lost its membership in the Group of Eight major economies last year over its backing for separatists fighting against the government in eastern Ukraine.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier spoke to reporters in Barcelona, Spain, before flying to Berlin for a meeting late Monday with his counterparts from Russia, Ukraine and France.
Steinmeier dismissed suggestions that Russia might be invited to attend the G-7 meeting hosted by Germany in June, but said Moscow shouldn’t be isolated indefinitely.
According to remarks released by his office, Steinmeier said “the path from G-7 to G-8 will surely lead via Ukraine and the issue of the implementation of the Minsk Agreement.”
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