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Russian official slams UK, Canada for ‘Russophobic’ G7 rejection

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A Russian diplomat has hit back at the United Kingdom and Canada after the two countries rejected the idea of Moscow rejoining the G7 group.

“I risk being impolite, but has someone asked Russia whether we want to return?” Russia’s First Deputy Permanent Representative to the U.N. Dmitry Polyanskiy wrote on Twitter Tuesday morning.

“Maybe that would be a right thing to do before giving to UK and Canada another opportunity to display their pathologic Russophobia and make G7 look even more pathetic,” he added.

U.S. President Donald Trump said this weekend he would postpone the annual G7 summit until September and that he planned to invite four non-member nations, including Russia.

His announcement prompted the U.K. and Canada to express opposition to any potential readmission of Russia, which was excluded from the group after its annexation of Crimea in 2014. Trump has repeatedly suggested that Moscow be allowed to rejoin.

On Monday, the Kremlin said Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had had a phone conversation on various topics, including the U.S. president’s idea to invite Russia, Australia, India and South Korea to this year’s G7 summit.

“The importance of enhancing the Russian-American dialogue on strategic stability and confidence-building measures in the military sector was noted,” a statement said, not specifying what Putin’s reaction to the G7 idea was.

Last week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she would not attend the G7 summit in Washington in person due to the ongoing pandemic. “As of today, considering the overall pandemic situation, she cannot agree to her personal participation, to a journey to Washington,” Merkel’s spokesman told POLITICO.

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