- Title: G7 playing a 'dangerous game' by pushing Moscow towards China - Russian envoy
- Date: 20th May 2021
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 20, 2021) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) RUSSIA'S AMBASSADOR TO LONDON, ANDREI KELIN, SAYING: "We do not want, of course, to subordinate our interests to the interests of the others, let it be the G7 or some other countries. Of course they are influential but we proceed as I said from our interests." BRITISH AND RUSSIAN FLAGS (SOUNDBITE) (English) RUSSIA'S AMBASSADOR TO LONDON, ANDREI KELIN, SAYING: (REPORTER OFF-CAMERA: "Does Russia want to be part of the G-7 again?) "We see discussions on this subject - endless discussion. 'Let's invite Russia, let's not invite Russia,' pro and contra. It is strange for us because we are not eager to become once again part of this club. In our view it has lost its authority. It's a club of a number of influential countries, however what they are doing is not targeted to solutions of common matters. It is more targeted to... it is more divisive. It is just a tendency of splitting the world into friends and aliens."
- Embargoed: 3rd June 2021 15:21
- Keywords: Andrei Kelin China G7 Russia ambassador
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM, BRASILIA, BRAZIL, AND CHARLEVOIX, QUEBEC, CANADA
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM, BRASILIA, BRAZIL, AND CHARLEVOIX, QUEBEC, CANADA
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Europe,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA007EDROSAV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:The Group of Seven is playing a "dangerous game" by making aggressive and baseless criticism of the Kremlin because it pushes Russia closer to China, Russia's ambassador to London Andrei Kelin told Reuters on Thursday (May 20).
G7 foreign ministers this month scolded both China and Russia, casting the Kremlin as malicious and Beijing as a bully, but beyond words there were few concrete steps aside from expressing support for Taiwan and Ukraine.
The G7, in a 12,400-word communique, said Russia was a destabilising influence on the world because of its 2014 annexation of Crimea, its build up on Ukraine's border and its meddling in the internal affairs of other countries.
Kelin said the G7's critique was biased, confrontational, lacked substance and was stoking anti-Western feelings among Russians, while its aggressive attitude towards Russia and China was pushing the two powers together.
Russia, the world's largest country by territory, denies it meddles beyond its borders and says the West is gripped by anti-Russian hysteria.
China, the world's second largest economy, says the West is a bully and that its leaders have a post-imperial mindset that makes them feel they can act like global policemen.
G7 leaders gather for a summit in St Ives, in the southern English region of Cornwall, on June 11-13. How to deal with President Vladimir Putin's Russia is expected to be on the agenda.
Kelin, a career diplomat who speaks fluent English, French and Dutch, said Russia would proceed according to its own geopolitical interests and that if there were issues that needed to be discussed then dialogue was the best way.
"But the G7 prefers megaphone diplomacy," Kelin said.
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