G7 Summit Continues With Energy Talk

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Before the summit opened Sunday, President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held their own talks where the White House said they agreed that how long economic sanctions against Russia remain in place depends on Russia’s implementation of a cease-fire agreement in Ukraine.

Chancellor Merkel told German public broadcaster ARD that Moscow should stay out of the G7 “community of values” over its actions in Ukraine. “There is a barrier at the moment and I can not really see how it can be overcome,” she said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was not invited to take part in the summit for the second year in a row. He was first excluded last year after Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

European Council President Donald Tusk said Sunday the European Union and the G7 leaders remain firm in their support of Ukraine in its fight against pro-Russian separatists.

Speaking at the luxury Schloss Elmau resort, Tusk said: “Our group is not only the political or economic group of interest, but first of all it is a community of values, and that is why Russia is not among us here today, and will not be invited as long as it behaves aggressively against Ukraine and other countries.”

The West accuses Moscow of supporting the insurgents in eastern Ukraine, a charge that Russia denies. The truce signed by Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany required both sides to withdraw heavy weapons from the line of contact, but the provisions have been routinely violated.

Trade is the official agenda of the gathering, but the world leaders are facing a number of challenges, including Greece’s latest effort to win new economic concessions from its international creditors to keep it from defaulting on debt payments due by the end of June.

On Saturday, thousands of protesters, including anti-capitalists, peace activists and black-clad anarchists converged on the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchenon near where the summit is being held. About 20,000 security personnel vastly outnumbered an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 protesters.