News Analysis: Twists and turns expected as West hints on possible Russian return to G8

Germany has brought up the idea of taking Russia back into the Group of Eight (G8), but there will be twists and turns, experts say.

Russia should return to G7, making it G8 again, said German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Sunday.

Steinmeier believed that Russia's role in solving major international conflicts cannot be overlooked.

"We will see in a year if Russia maintains this constructive role and then there will certainly be a debate within the G7 (on Russia's return)," Steinmeier was quoted as saying by the German Zeit newspaper ahead of a G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Japan's Hiroshima.

Russia joined G7 in 1998, making it G8. The entry followed years of Moscow's unofficial participation in G7 meetings, in a format called the G7+1.

The seven countries -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States -- boycotted the Sochi G8 meeting in 2014 to protest what they saw Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

"The proposal to take Russia back and end its isolation is an oliver branch to Moscow, which is meant to encourage more positive responses by Russia in major regional and international issues," said Zhang Hong, an expert on Russia with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) on Monday.

Zhang believed that many conflicts rising from the different core interests of Russia and the West are hard to resolve in a short term.

Russia and the major Western nations are still widely apart over the construction of the European security system and the U.S. global anti-missile architecture, he said.

The resignation of Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk on Sunday may bring in a more West-leaning government, and the country seating between Russia and major European powers will remain a problem in their relations.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko arrived in Japan ahead of the Hiroshima meeting. Japan, which had joined anti-Russian sanctions, agreed to include the Ukrainian issue on the G7 agenda.

"It is unlikely for Russia to return to the G8 in a year," said Jiang Yi, a senior research fellow with CASS on Monday.

The overall sentiment on Russia remains the same, said Jiang, noting that Washington just extended sanctions on Russia last month.

Canada also expanded economic measures against Russia by adding two more individuals and 10 entities to the sanctions list less than a month ago.

"As agreed by G7 leaders, Canada believes sanctions should not be lifted until Russia fully implements its commitments under the Minsk agreements," said Canadian Foreign Minister Stephane Dion.

Dion was referring to a cease-fire deal reached by Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany in February 2015.

The Ukraine issue was the last straw that led to the collapse of G8, said Jiang. The major problem is the strategic differences between Russia and the West powers, he said.

Russia is asking for equal treatment within G8, as well as a say in topics concerning European security, which is apparently hardly attainable anytime soon, said Jiang. Endi