Russia To Host Middle East Crisis Talks At G8 Summit

As Israel pounded Lebanon with fresh air raids and pursued a military campaign in Gaza, Russian officials put the situation on the agenda of the G8 gathering -- sidelining the topic of energy security originally intended to take centerstage -- which starts Saturday, July 15 and runs to Monday.

Summit host President Vladimir Putin urged all sides to "immediately stop military action" and said he would discuss the crisis with US President George W. Bush in pre-summit bilateral talks and over the weekend with the other G8 leaders.

"We will do everything we can to ensure peace as quickly as possible in the Palestinian territories, Israel and Lebanon," Putin told a video conference of youths in St Petersburg and in Cairo.

A White House spokesman said the situation was sure to be a "topic of much concern" at the G8 sessions, describing the violence as a "forcing event" that required nations to take sides.

Bush arrived in Putin's home city for face-to-face talks before
the annual summit of the world's richest club, which also includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.

According to Lebanese police, more than 60 civilians have been killed since Israel began its offensive two days ago in retaliation for the capture of two soldiers and the killing of eight others by Hezbollah. The Gaza offensive to retrieve a soldier captured there nearly three weeks ago has so far left at least 76 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier dead.

Divided reaction from G8 nations

But splits were apparent among G8 countries -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States -- over how to respond to the escalating violence in the Middle East.

The United States called for restraint from Israel, adding that the country had a right to defend itself, while Canada urged Hezbollah supporters to cut off funding for the organization. Washington separately vetoed a UN resolution demanding an end to the military operations in Gaza.

Russian and European diplomats, however, described the Israeli offensive as "disproportionate use of force" against Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, and Putin, as well as other world leaders, called for all sides to "immediately stop military action."

North Korean, Iranian nuclear debates continue

Supported by Europe and Japan, US President George W. Bush is also expected to try to persuade Russia and China to threaten tough action against North Korea after it fired seven missiles.

Japan proposed a draft UN resolution to that effect, but China and Russia put forward a second -- softer -- version. Just how hard the US and Japan are willing to push for a resolution remains unclear.

Leaders will also discuss the Iranian nuclear program, which the United States fears is hiding a weapons development program under the guise of civilian atomic work.

World powers agreed in Paris earlier this week to send their concerns back to the UN Security Council with the implicit threat of sanctions if Iran still refuses to suspend uranium enrichment.

US officials voiced satisfaction at what was billed as a change of tack by Moscow only for Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to say that any talk of sanctions at this stage was "hypothetical."

Despite the new issues, the topic of energy security, which has divided Russia and Europe, is still likely to get some attention at the summit.

Moscow raised fears across Europe when it briefly cut off gas supplies to the Ukraine in January. Europe receives 25 percent of its gas supply from Russia via the Ukraine, leading some in Europe to consider how they should diversify their energy supplies and lower their dependency on Russia.

Critics question Russia's record on democracy

With all the discussions regarding political developments in Russia, some experts see the primary aim of this G8 summit to provide the rest of the world with an opportunity to see what is actually going on inside of Russia.

Critics argued that the authoritarian style of rule in the country, coupled with strict regulation of non-government organizations and suppression of political opposition parties mean it has not earned the right to become a full G8 member.

A number of protesters were arrested when an opposition group, led by chess great Gary Kasparov, held its own meeting prior to the weekend's summit to highlight the country's democratic failures and try to consolidate an opposition to the ruling United Russia party.