Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) called for Russia to be booted from the G8 Monday in a Fox Business interview, saying the Vladimir Putin regime "doesn't behave like a democracy" and doesn't belong among a group of advanced countries given its hostile behavior in the Ukraine.
"It certainly is not a democracy," he said. "It doesn't behave like a democracy. It doesn't seem to want to govern itself by international norms, and by invading a neighbor and making illegitimate territorial claims, I think the G7 or G8 should be a group of advanced democracies, and Russia certainly isn't behaving like one right now."
Full exchange:
RICH EDSON: You did mention the G7 and G8 here, or what used to be the G7 with Russia, and you almost jokingly said maybe it will be the g-7 again. Do you believe that Russia should be kicked out?
MARCO RUBIO: Yeah, the G8 was supposed to be a group of advanced democracies and free enterprise economies, advanced countries. Under at least Vladimir Putin, Russia is not that. It certainly is not a democracy. It doesn't behave like a democracy. It doesn't seem to want to govern itself by international norms, and by invading a neighbor and making illegitimate territorial claims, I think the G7 or G8 should be a group of advanced democracies, and Russia certainly isn't behaving like one right now.
EDSON: So you're saying boot them right now.
RUBIO: I would. I think, especially given the -- a week ago, I said that's what should happen, if they didn't immediately leave. Now they've proceeded to do more. They're going to have these fraudulent referendums later this month. How can you have a referendum about whether you want to join another country when that other country is currently occupying you? How fair can that be?