Putin: I do not want Russia to return to the G8.

According to a report from Russian news agency Sputnik on December 4th, Russian President Putin stated that he does not want Russia to return to the G8. Putin, in an interview with an Indian television channel today, responded to related questions saying, "I don't want to." He mentioned that there was a period of time when he actually stopped participating in the activities of the group. Putin also expressed that "their share in the global economy is constantly decreasing, this is an obvious fact that we all can see. This trend is like this, and it will continue." Putin pointed out that the G7 is still an important platform, where member countries are doing certain things, discussing certain issues, and making decisions. He wished them all the best. Putin stated that he has not attended G8 summits since a particular time, and the reason has nothing to do with the situation in Ukraine. He said, "I repeat, since a certain time, I have not attended the summits, but this is not related to the situation in Ukraine. It is related to other events, and I will not disclose details now."