'Cheap Speculations': Moscow Comments on Rumors About Possible Return to G8

The Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described on Tuesday rumors about Russia's possible return to G8 as "cheap speculations."

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Russian Foreign Ministry believes that western "speculations" about the possible return of Moscow to the Group of Eight (G8) format are futile and useless as they have not been put into action, Zakharova said.

"Regarding the issue of Russia's return to G8,… we hear about it only from the other side. You know, it is a kind of cheap speculations. Serious people take decisions — in favor or against," Zakharova told Vesti FM broadcaster.

In March, Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said that Rome was hopeful that Moscow would return to the G8 format next year.

In 2014, the G8 members refused to come to the Russian southwestern city of Sochi, venue of the G8 regular summit, citing disagreements over the Ukrainian crisis, and have been meeting in the seven-state format since then.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has repeatedly said that Moscow does not intend to take any steps to get back to the G8 group. In January, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the issue of restoration of the G8 format with Russia’s participation is not being discussed in Moscow as Russia prioritizes work in the G20 format.