Britain has pulled out of this week's preparatory meetings for the G8 summit in Sochi in June in protest at Russia's stance in the Ukraine crisis, Foreign Secretary William Hague said today.
"The UK will join other G8 countries this week in suspending our cooperation under the G8, which Russia chairs this year, including meetings this week for the preparation of the G8 summit," Hague told reporters shortly before flying to Kiev.
"We will keep our approach to further G8 meetings under review."
Hague repeated that he was "very concerned" about escalating tensions in Ukraine, where the interim government called up all military reservists today in response to Russia's threat to send troops into the ex-Soviet state.
"The sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine has been violated and this cannot be the way to conduct international affairs," he said.
Hague was heading to Kiev for an overnight trip to meet members of Ukraine's new pro-Western government, where he said he would stress the importance of representing all Ukrainians -- and also of not rising to "provocations".
"It's very important that we all do everything we can to calm tensions. The Ukrainians have said to me in the last couple of days that they will not rise to provocations and I will strongly advise them to continue with that approach," he said.
Hague said he was urging both the Ukrainians and the Russians to engage in direct talks over the crisis, which they had yet to do. Failing that, he said there were options for them to communicate through organisations such as the UN.
Addressing criticism that the West was not taking a tougher response to Russian actions in Ukraine, Hague insisted: "Our response is diplomatic and peaceful and it should be.
"But it will be a very united diplomatic response, not just from the Western world but from many other countries in the world and that that is something that Russia will have to think hard about.
