Toyako, Japan  - Russia at the Group of Eight (G8) leaders meeting in Japan on Tuesday rejected further sanctions against the regime of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe.

"We don't believe that in this case sanctions are an effective tool to improve the situation" in Zimbabwe, said Russian official Alexander Pankin on the sidelines of the summit meeting.

Pankin added that Russia was of the opinion that there first should be "a broad negotiation" at the national level, which would include other leaders from the continent.

"It is important to maintain peace and stability in Zimbabwe and not to trigger a situation that would be unstoppable or could unfold in a very negative way," he said. (dpa)