France: Russia suspended from G8

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 G8 summit that Russia is scheduled to host in June in Sochi.

France's Laurent Fabius went further today, saying on Europe-1 radio that "concerning the G8 ... we decided to suspend Russia's participation, and it is envisaged that all the other countries, the seven leading countries, will unite without Russia."

Fabius did not give further details. The US and European Union today announced new sanctions against Russia over its actions in the Crimean Peninsula.