Kremlin comments on Canadian PM's words about Putin

The Kremlin has voiced regret over the revival of the irreconcilable cold war rhetoric with regard to Russia’s leaders.
"As for such irreconcilable attitude towards our president, this is not something new," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, commenting on the remarks by the Canadian Prime Minister that Russia wouldn’t return to the G7 during Vladimir Putin’s tenure. "We can only voice regret over the fact that the rhetoric of the 1970s has revived so quickly," Peskov added.

Commenting on the sanctions issue, he noted, "This is not our issue on the agenda."

On Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper told The Associated Press that "it would require consensus to bring Russia back and that consensus will just not happen." "I don’t think Russia under Vladimir Putin belongs to the G7," Harper noted.

Meanwhile, the United States said that President Barack Obama would negotiate with EU leaders the extension of anti-Russian sanctions during the talks "on the sidelines" of the summit of the heads of state and government of the Group of Seven in Germany.