By Jaime Ortega.
President Barack Obama is hoping his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, takes the opportunity given by the G7 to “re-align with international law” because otherwise, the West will “trigger sanctions directed to Russia that will have more economic impact and less harmful to the European Union. ”
Obama spoke of “several weeks” as the deadline for its position on Russia to redirect its politics and military strategy in eastern Ukraine’s territorial crisis. While admitting that Russia has “legitimate interests in Ukraine due to its neighborhood and its historic ties,” he reminded Putin that he must respect the country’s sovereignty.
Obama will speak tomorrow in Normandy with the Russian president, where he has confirmed will have the opportunity to talk “face to face” but for now there is no scheduled bilateral meeting on the official agenda between the two leaders.
The British prime minister, David Cameron, has advanced and advice Putin to require Russia to cooperate with Ukrainian President-elect Petro Poroshenko, and to use his influence to stop pro-Russian attacks in favor of independence.
The final declaration of the summit of the G7 condemns the “unacceptable” interference of the Russian Federation in the internal affairs of Ukraine and warns that it triggers new restrictive measures if Moscow does not meet the demand: “We demand to Russia to recognize the outcome of the elections, complete the withdrawal of its military troops on the border with Ukraine, stop sending arms to the pro-Russian activists and exert its influence between armed separatist groups to renounce violence.”
U.S. wants the UK to be part of the EU
The institutional debate on the new president of the European Commission has starred in the ‘parallel’ agenda of this summit, convened in Brussels rather than the Russian city of Sochi in response to the international crisis around Ukraine.
British Prime Minister David Cameron, leader of the group is opposing the candidate countries to the European People’s Party, the most voted in recent elections. Jean-Claude Juncker, appointed the new President of the Commission.
Faced with reports that suggest that Britain had threatened to leave the EU if Juncker is finally elected, the UK ‘premier’ has said that the only thing that matters is that “the Commission and all European institutions are led by politicians who get the message of the elections and are willing to make changes in the EU. ”
“I have a strategy and know how what to do. I Want that Britain remains within the EU Member States to recover some of its powers,” said the British leader, who could be in a difficult political situation in his country if Juncker became the new president of the Commission. “In two of the largest countries in Europe, France and the United Kingdom, anti-European forces have won. We can ignore or get the message and act,” he recalled.
U.S. President also praised the impact of a possible departure from United Kingdom within the EU. “I cannot believe that the European project is going to do well without the United Kingdom in the same way that the UK is interested in having a seat in the place where important decisions on economic and policy developments are made,” he assured. It has also been shown in favor of UK to remain a “strong, united and effective” partner in reference to the possible secession of Scotland, but acknowledged that the decision “is for the citizens to choose.”
