Medvedev warns West over G8 expulsion

Published on Wednesday 3 September 2008 01:53

DMITRY Medvedev, the Russian president, yesterday warned the West it would suffer more than Russia if it tried to impose sanctions over the war with Georgia, the president of which he dismissed as a "political corpse".

Mr Medvedev said Russia did not fear expulsion from the Group of Eight leading industrialised nations.

"The G8 will be practically unable to function without Russia, because it can make decisions only if they reflect the opinion of top global economies and leading political players of the world," he said. "That's why we don't fear being expelled."

John McCain, the US presidential candidate, called for Russia's expulsion.

Mr Medvedev also warned that Nato would suffer more than Russia if ties with Moscow were severed. "We don't see anything difficult about suspending our relations," he said. "But I think our partners will lose more."

Nato nations rely on Russia to move supplies to troops in Afghanistan.

The Russian president said Moscow would not agree to any contacts with his Georgian counterpart, Mikhail Saakashvili, whom he called a "political corpse".