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When leaders of the world’s eight wealthiest countries meet in Northern Ireland on Monday, it’s pretty clear how Prime Minister Stephen Harper sees the seating arrangements at the leaders’ table.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on one side. Everybody else on the other. At least when it comes to Syria.

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On the eve of the G8 summit, while he was in Dublin meeting the Irish prime minister, Harper suggested that trying to get Russia to drop its long-standing support of the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is an exercise in futility.

In doing so, the Canadian prime minister effectively drew a sharp line between Putin’s Russia and the rest of the G8.

“Look, I think that dialogue will be interesting. I think it’s important to have that kind of dialogue. But I don’t think we should fool ourselves. This is G7 plus one. OK, let’s be blunt. That’s what this is, G7 plus one,” Harper said Sunday.

“We in the west have a very different perspective on this situation. Mr. Putin and his government are supporting the thugs of the Assad regime for their own reasons that I do not think are justifiable, and Mr. Putin knows my view on that.”