UK Wants Russia Out of the G8

British Prime Minister David Cameron said Russia should be expelled from the G8 for its actions against Ukraine. His statement comes a day after France claimed the G8 already kicked out Russia, a claim which was quickly denied by the UK, Germany, and Japan.

Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine, and pro-Russian forces captured Ukrainian military bases in Simferopol and Sevastopol. One Ukrainian soldier died in Simferopol Tuesday. Ukraine was determined to fight for Crimea, but losing the bases was too much, and the government is pulling is troops back to the mainland.

Now Cameron wants the G8 to take action against Russia:

Mr Cameron told Parliament on Wednesday that if Moscow continued its armed showdown in Crimea, other members of the G8 would have to consider expelling Russia for good.

“I think it’s important we move together with our allies and partners, and I think we should be discussing whether or not to expel Russia permanently from the G8 if further steps are taken,” he told the weekly session of Prime Minister’s Question Time.

The G8 is a forum of the wealthiest industrialized nations in the world. Many of the nations within the group have threatened to boycott the June summit in Sochi, Russia. France and the UK stopped their preparatory meetings, and Canada cancelled its appearance. Canada also recalled its ambassador to Russia.