The G7 summit can be held in London instead of Sochi

Great seven participating countries, because of the situation in Ukraine, are being prepared instead of the scheduled G8 summit in Sochi for the summer of the G7 format, RIA Novosti reports with reference to the SPIEGEL magazine. The publication, in turn, refers to sources in the Government of Germany.

According to the publication, the authorities of Great Britain have already proposed to conduct an alternative summit in London. Other participating countries of the club accepted this proposal favorably.

As a representative of the German government told the magazine, Berlin suspend preparations for the Eight summit, decisions on further steps have not yet been taken. If Moscow does not go in a concession in the dispute around Crimea, Germany intends to abandon the next round of interstate consultations that should be held in April in Germany, the publication notes. Perhaps the magazine adds, consultations will be held in a truncated format.

The fact that the countries of the "big seven" suspend preparations for the Summit in Sochi became known shortly after the Federation Council allowed President Vladimir Putin to introduce troops into Ukraine in early March.

In February, the authorities actually occurred in Ukraine - the Verkhovna Rada passed under the control of the opposition and removed from the power of President Viktor Yanukovych. Russia did not recognize the new authorities of Ukraine.

In the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, they also refused to recognize the new government in Kyiv. The local parliament, captured by armed people in military uniform without identification marks, appointed the new prime minister of the leader of the Russian Unity movement Sergei Aksenov.

On Sunday, a referendum will be held in Crimea, at which the inhabitants of the Autonomous Republic will speak out on the issue of joining Russia. The new authorities of Ukraine and the West do not recognize the referendum legitimate.