AP Interview: Canada's Harper says Russia can't rejoin G-7

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Yahoo News:

TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Thursday that Russia should never be allowed back in the Group of 7 as long as Vladimir Putin is president.

 

Harper said in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press that he expects the group won't ever let Putin back in. He made the remarks ahead of his trip to Ukraine and the Group of 7 meeting in Germany this week.

 

Harper said even long before the Ukraine crisis, Russia has eroded any basis for belonging to the group of wealthy nations. He also noted that Russia has ramped up long range bomber patrols near North American airspace. The G-7 suspended Russia last year but hasn't ruled out welcoming him back.

 

"I don't think Russia under Vladimir Putin belongs in the G7. Period," Harper said. "Canada would very, very strongly oppose Putin ever sitting around that table again. It would require consensus to bring Russia back and that consensus will just not happen."

 

The prime minister said Russia is far from like-minded.

 

"Russia is more often than not trying deliberately to be a strategic rival, to deliberately counter the good things we're trying to achieve in the world than for no other reason than to just counter them," Harper said.

 

Harper said the "mindset of the guy we are dealing with is that the Cold War has never ended and 'I've got to fight to change the ending somehow.'"

 

"I don't think there is any way under this leader Russia will ever change," Harper said.

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Sorry, Vlad, you're not invited...