G8 + Crimea = G7

Russia signed an agreement with the Crimea and almost lost its membership in the "Eight"

On March 18, in the St. George Hall of the Kremlin, the President of the Russian Federation made an extraordinary appeal to the Federal Assembly, which was completely devoted to the situation around Crimea

The performance of Vladimir Putin began with stormy and prolonged applause, turning into a standing ovation, and raising the flags of Crimea, Sevastopol and Russia in the hall. At the end of the event, an agreement was signed in the same hall on the inclusion of Crimea and Sevastopol in Russia as new constituent entities of the Federation. The contract will be submitted to the State Duma along with the draft Federal Constitutional Law on the adoption of two new entities to the Russian Federation.

In the appeal itself, Putin said that the Crimean referendum was in full accordance with democratic procedures and especially noted that 96% of voters voted for reunification with Russia. “He (Crimea - The New Times) will, as it were for centuries, have a home home for representatives of all the peoples living there. But he will never be Bandera! " - said Vladimir Putin. (In fact, after many Russians not very knowledgeable in the history of Ukraine, he pronounced Benderovsky, but the president’s stenogram was corrected in the Kremlin’s official website.)

Meanwhile, shortly before Putin’s speech, it became known that the leaders of the Western countries decided to suspend Russia's membership in the G8. This was stated by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius. According to him, on the same day on March 18, representatives of the Seven will hold negotiations without the participation of Moscow.

However, later the German Chancellor Angela Markel denied Fabius’s statement, noting that so far it was decided to suspend the preparation for the G8 meeting in June in Sochi, and Russia is still overlooked by a member of the Great Eight.