Russia suspended from G8 : France

France’s foreign minister says that leaders of the Group of Eight world powers have suspended Russia’s participation in the club amid tensions over Ukraine and Russia’s incursion into Crimea. 

The other seven members of the group had already suspended preparations for a G-8 summit that Russia is scheduled to host in June in Sochi. 

France’s Laurent Fabius went further on Tuesday, saying on Europe-1 radio that “concerning the G-8 ... we decided to suspend Russia’s participation, and it is envisaged that all the other countries, the seven leading countries, will unite without Russia.” 

Mr. Fabius did not give further details. 

The U.S. and European Union on Tuesday announced new sanctions against Russia over its actions in the Crimean Peninsula. 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the European Union will impose more sanctions on Russia following its decision to annex Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and will suspend all G-8 meetings until the political situation changes.

Merkel told the country's Parliament Thursday ahead of an EU summit in Brussels that the bloc would expand a freeze of bank accounts and travel bans of people that have been linked to the crisis.

Earlier this week, the EU and the United States slapped sanctions on certain individuals that were involved in what they say was the unlawful referendum in Crimea over joining Russia.

She also said that the G-8 will not meet until the situation changes. Russian President Vladimir Putin was due to host leaders from the top industrial countries in Sochi in June