The leaders of the G7 nations meet today and tomorrow to discuss a range of topics with Russia seemingly at the top of their agenda
The summit is being hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the Bavarian town of Kruen and attended by US President Barack Obama,Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, UK PM David Cameron, French President Francois Hollande, Canada's PM Stephen Harper and Italian PM Matteo Renzi.
No sooner had Obama stepped off the plan it was then all off down to a local hostelry for a breakfast of traditional sausages washed down with a local beer before the real event gets under way later
Said Obama
"We're going to discuss our shared future, the global economy that creates jobs and opportunity, maintaining a strong and prosperous European Union, forging new trade partnerships across the Atlantic, standing up to Russian aggression in Ukraine, combating threats from violent extremism to climate change"
while the UK Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond said the West had a "delicate act to perform"
We've got to send a clear signal to Russia that we will not allow them to transgress our red lines. At the same time we have to recognise that the Russians do have a sense of being surrounded and under attack, and we don't want to make unnecessary provocations."
Russian President Putin meanwhile had this to say
"No one need have fear of Russia. The world has changed to such an extent that nowadays no sensible person can imagine a military attack of that scale. We have better things to do; that, I can assure you."
Greece will also be on the menu but only as a side-dish and the whole proceedings will be watched over by 17,000 security staff.
Well, it keeps the unemployment numbers down I guess
More from the Beeb here and Reuters here
Enjoy the rest of your week-end one and all
G7 gets off to a heady start
