Trump Whines His BFF Putin Isn't at World Leaders Summit
President Donald Trump started the G7 summit in Canada on a combative note by blasting the removal of Russia from the G8 as a 'big mistake' and jabbing at his host's former prime minister.
'The G7 used to be the G8. Barack Obama and a person named Trudeau didn't want to have Russia in it,' the president told reporters after a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney.
'I would say that was a mistake,' the president continued.
Russia was expelled from the G8 after it annexed Crimea in 2014, but Trump made the claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin would not have invaded Ukraine eight years later if he hadn't been given the boot.
Another glaring issue with the president's claim was that Justin Trudeau did not become prime minister until 2015.
The comments come as the president has struggled to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine despite vowing to end the war on day one of his second term after Putin's invasion in 2022.
'You spend so much time talking about Russia, and he's no longer at the table, so it makes life more complicated, but you wouldn't have had the war,' Trump said on Monday.
Asked by a reporter whether Putin should have a seat at the G7 in Canada, Trump said, 'I'm not saying he should at this point.'
The president continued to criticize former President Barack Obama and former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for not wanting Putin there and suggested that despite annexing Crimea from Ukraine, he was not an enemy.
'This was a big mistake. You wouldn't have that war,' Trump said. 'You know, you have your enemy at the table. I don't even consider him—he wasn't really an enemy at that time. There was no concept.'
The effort to bring the war in Ukraine to an end is expected to be one of several key topics discussed at the summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, as Trump attempts to pressure both Russia and Ukraine to reach a ceasefire agreement.
'Putin speaks to me. He doesn't speak to anybody else. He doesn't want to talk because he was very insulted when he got thrown out of the G8, as I would be,' Trump said.
'He was thrown out by Trudeau, who convinced one or two people with Obama. He was thrown out,' the president argued. 'He's not a happy person about it. I can tell you that.'
Trump spoke with the Russian president on Saturday ahead of the G7 this week. They discussed the war in Ukraine, but the conversation was largely focused on the Middle East. Putin also wished the president a happy birthday, according to Trump.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Canada to meet with leaders attending the summit, including holding a bilateral meeting with Trump.
While the pair has spoken by phone, it will be their first in person meeting since their brief tête-à-tête on the sidelines of Pope Francis' funeral in late April following their contentious Oval Office meeting in February.
While the war in Ukraine is expected to be part of discussions this week, the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel is expected to dominate the conversation in Canada.
Asked about the conflict in the Middle East, Trump said Iran would like to talk but suggested it should have done so before.
'They had 60 days, and on the 61st day, I said we don't have a deal. They have to make a deal,' the president said. 'I'd say Iran is not winning this war, and they should talk, and they should talk immediately before it's too late.'
In a post on Sunday, the president wrote, 'Iran and Israel should make a deal' and expressed optimism that peace would come 'soon.'
In an interview with ABC News, Trump also said he was open to Putin serving as a mediator between Israel and Iran.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
30 minutes ago
- Newsweek
All the Signs Trump Is Preparing for a US Attack on Iran
Based on factual reporting, incorporates the expertise of the journalist and may offer interpretations and conclusions. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. As an unprecedented conflict between Israel and Iran dragged on into a fifth day, President Donald Trump has increasingly indicated that he was seriously considering a direct intervention in the fight. And while the Pentagon has thus far maintained that U.S. forces were operating in a purely "defensive posture," while also assisting Israeli interceptions of Iranian missiles, evidence is mounting that the White House is marching toward military action against the Islamic Republic. Trump's Threats Intensify Just prior to Israel launching its large-scale campaign on Thursday, Trump had signaled a willingness to continue nuclear negotiations with Iran, the sixth round of which had been scheduled to be held in Oman last Sunday. Even after the initial Israeli strikes began, Trump called on Tehran to double down on efforts to reach an agreement. As of Monday, however, Trump has adopted a notably more ominous tone. Shortly before his abrupt exit from the G7 meeting being held in Canada, he called on residents of Tehran, home to nearly 10 million people, to immediately evacuate, and later met with top national security officials at the White House Situation Room. The president further hardened his language on Tuesday, claiming on his Truth Social platform that "we have complete and total control of the skies over Iran," appearing to suggest the U.S. was already a party to the conflict. He even alleged to know the exact location of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, referring to the top Iranian authority as "an easy target," though, "we are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now." "But we don't want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers," Trump continued. "Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" He then called for "UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!" in a follow-up post apparently aimed at Iran. Two U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets fly in formation over an undisclosed location in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, on April 5, 2025. Two U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets fly in formation over an undisclosed location in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, on April 5, 2025. Staff Sergeant Gerald R. Willis US Builds Up Regional Footprint Over the weekend, aviation watchers noticed dozens of U.S. air tankers being deployed to Europe. Such aircraft are necessary to refuel warplanes conducting forward operations from afar and reports later tied their movement to tensions building in the Middle East. Then, on Monday, the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier diverted from the South China Sea to the Middle East, where it would join the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group that entered the Arabian Sea in April. If the U.S. were to conduct a strike on Iran's heavily fortified underground Fordow nuclear enrichment facility, the weapon most widely believed to be involved would be the GBU 57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator. The only aircraft certified to carry the 15-ton bomb is the B2 stealth bomber, capable of delivering strikes from bases 6,000 miles away. The closest base to Fordow is the U.S. Naval Facility Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. Meanwhile, other U.S. staff and family members that could potentially be exposed to hostile fire on the ground have reportedly been authorized to leave posts in Bahrain, Iraq and Kuwait since last week, in the lead up to Israel's opening strikes. U.S. Central Command is estimated to have roughly 40,000 personnel in the Middle East. State Department Forms Task Force As for other U.S. citizens looking to leave the region, they are being asked to contact a new task force announced Tuesday by State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce. "The task force is a group of people who are working taking the calls of people, of American citizens around the world, making sure that they get connected with what they may need that region," Bruce said. Such an initiative she said, "is something that the State Department does when there's a situation that requires it, and this is one of those times." Before taking questions, Bruce said it would be a "little bit of a different day for the briefing," as "there will be less than I can answer for you because of the circumstances that we're dealing with around the world." Throughout the press conference, she declined to "characterize what President Trump says or tweets," including whether or not he sought to support Israel's strikes against Fordow, or even sought to pursue regime change in Iran. A general view of The White House as U.S. President Donald Trump returns from the G7 Leaders' Summit on June 17, 2025 in Washington, DC. A general view of The White House as U.S. President Donald Trump returns from the G7 Leaders' Summit on June 17, 2025 in Washington, Fades Bruce also would neither confirm nor deny whether or not the U.S. remained open to diplomacy with Iran at this stage. Neither the U.S. nor Iran has announced any new diplomatic overtures since Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced the suspension of nuclear talks over Israel's sweeping campaign of strikes against sites and personnel tied to Iran's military and nuclear program. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, however, did hold separate conversations on Tuesday with Araghchi and Trump's special envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff. A readout of the conversation did not mention any messages passed between the U.S. and Iranian diplomats but contained an urgent plea from Abdelatty to avoid further escalation. Vance's New Tone Vice President JD Vance is often viewed as one of the most senior advocates of restraint in the Trump administration. Like Trump, he has criticized past administration for becoming mired in foreign conflicts, a key voter message he hammered on the campaign trail last year. Back in March, Vance was among the few senior officials to initially doubt the utility of the decision to begin launching strikes against Iran's Yemeni ally, Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthi movement, according to Signal chats leaked by The Atlantic. On Tuesday, as Trump ramped up his rhetoric against Iran, Vance issued a lengthy personal appeal in defense of the president's decision-making process on X, formerly Twitter. Look, I'm seeing this from the inside, and am admittedly biased towards our president (and my friend), but there's a lot of crazy stuff on social media, so I wanted to address some things directly on the Iran issue: First, POTUS has been amazingly consistent, over 10 years, that… — JD Vance (@JDVance) June 17, 2025 He said the president "may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment," while acknowledging that "people are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of idiotic foreign policy." "But I believe the president has earned some trust on this issue. And having seen this up close and personal, I can assure you that he is only interested in using the American military to accomplish the American people's goals," Vance continued. "Whatever he does, that is his focus."
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The Bombs the US Could Deploy If Trump Strikes Iran
(Bloomberg) -- US President Donald Trump has a wide range of military assets in the Middle East and across the globe to bring to bear in a potential fight against Iran as he weighs one of the most momentous foreign policy decisions of his administration. Security Concerns Hit Some of the World's 'Most Livable Cities' As Part of a $45 Billion Push, ICE Prepares for a Vast Expansion of Detention Space How E-Scooters Conquered (Most of) Europe As American Architects Gather in Boston, Retrofits Are All the Rage Taser-Maker Axon Triggers a NIMBY Backlash in its Hometown That arsenal includes powerfully destructive bombs, long-range stealth bombers, an aircraft carrier strike group, Navy destroyers and US troops — offering Trump multiple options if he decides to intervene more directly in support of Israel. Some resources like the B-2 bomber are in the US while other assets are either in the region or on the way. It's unclear whether Trump will deepen US involvement beyond helping Israel defend against Iranian air attacks as he has done in recent days. On Tuesday afternoon, the president gathered his national security staff for a White House Situation Room meeting. The administration, though, has been surging military resources to US Central Command, which oversees the Pentagon's operations in the region. And forces already in the area include naval and air power that could play a crucial role in any US action against Iran. The Islamic Republic has already suffered its worst assault in decades, with Israel's strikes on the country's nuclear and military infrastructure damaging key facilities and killing senior personnel. One weapon, though, is seen as particularly effective if the situation were to escalate and draw the direct involvement of the US. The Massive Ordnance Penetrator or 'MOP' — better known as the bunker-buster bomb — weighs 30,000 pounds and is the world's largest precision-guided weapon. The GPS-directed bomb, assembled by Boeing Co., has been touted repeatedly as the only weapon capable of delivering a knockout blow to Tehran's atomic ambitions, which would require a successful strike on the heavily protected enrichment site at Fordow. Hidden beneath a mountain and believed to be buried around 60 to 90 meters deep, many experts believe that damaging Fordow can be achieved only by the MOP — a weapon the US alone possesses. Each bunker buster can be independently targeted and released, 'making it possible to deliver a MOP right on top of another MOP,' said Rebecca Grant, a Lexington Institute analyst. Grant said drone surveillance in the area could also help the military 'refine the strike' at the last minute and noted that Iranian nuclear facilities such as Fordow have been studied by the US for years. The decision on whether to use that weapon is poised to be one of the most critical Trump makes. The bomb could alter Iran's decision-making over its nuclear program and because its deployment would involve American planes and pilots it would place the US at the center of an offensive military action. 'If Israel can achieve that result through its operations, that is the best case,' said Daniel Shapiro, a former US ambassador to Israel and onetime deputy assistant defense secretary. 'But if it requires US participation to target the Fordow facility, that has to be on the table for President Trump to consider.' Stealth Bombers Deploying the MOP would involve another crucial military asset, the B-2 stealth bomber, which can carry two of them. The B-2 would fly thousands of miles from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to deliver the bombs deep within Iran. The US demonstrated the power of its B-2 fleet in October, when bombers flew from Whiteman to hammer Iran-backed Houthi weapons facilities buried underground. Earlier this year, as many as six B-2s were spotted on a runway on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean in a deployment that was interpreted by many as a message to both Iran and the Houthis. The Air Force said those aircraft returned to their base in May. US Central Command, which oversees the longstanding US military presence in the Middle East, would play a key role in any operations on Iran, with responsibility for a force spread across multiple countries, including Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and drawing on troops from different military services and special operations forces. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has 'directed the deployment of additional capabilities' to the command. The administration is also sending as many as 20 KC-135 and newer KC-46 aerial refueling tankers to undisclosed locations, according to a defense official, helping extend the range of US air power. Those resources would offer Trump additional flexibility in determining his course of action. US personnel in the region, including Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy servicemembers, number 40,000-45,000, according to the most recent Central Command figures. The Navy is also poised to be a critical component, with resources that can both aid any action on Iran and have already been employed to help protect Israel from retaliatory strikes. The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group has been in the region of the Arabian Sea for seven months. The ship carries about 3,000 sailors, according to the Navy, with another 2,000 in its air wing. The air wing boasts an extensive array of military hardware, including F-35 and F-18 fighter jets, EA-18 aircraft that can disrupt enemy radar and communication systems, E-2Ds with advanced radar to help identity threats more quickly, as well as Osprey tiltrotor aircraft and Sea Hawk helicopters. In addition to the centerpiece carrier, the group also includes a guided-missile cruiser, the USS Princeton, and guided-missile destroyers. Another strike group headed by the USS Nimitz is scheduled to relieve the Vinson and is currently in the Indo-Pacific, offering additional forces. The Navy has three Aegis missile defense destroyers in the Eastern Mediterranean — the USS Arleigh Burke, USS The Sullivans and the USS Thomas Hudner, with two more vessels arriving shortly, according to a defense official. Two additional destroyers are in the Red Sea. A US official said the Arleigh Burke and The Sullivans fired numerous SM-3 anti-ballistic missile interceptors over the weekend to help defend Israel. An Army unit in the region also fired THAAD interceptors at Iranian ballistic missiles, according to another official. --With assistance from Natalia Drozdiak. Ken Griffin on Trump, Harvard and Why Novice Investors Won't Beat the Pros How a Tiny Middleman Could Access Two-Factor Login Codes From Tech Giants American Mid: Hampton Inn's Good-Enough Formula for World Domination The Spying Scandal Rocking the World of HR Software US Allies and Adversaries Are Dodging Trump's Tariff Threats ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Newsweek
33 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump's Pledge of No New Wars Runs Into Reality of Middle East
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump entered office vowing to bring a swift end to the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. Five months in, foreign conflicts are now threatening to overshadow Trump's second term as a new war escalates between Israel and Iran and concerns grow that the United States could soon take an active role in fighting Tehran. Trump referred to himself as an anti-war president upon his return to the White House and even argued that his efforts to broker peace around the world deserved a Nobel Peace prize. But the Israel-Iran conflict has highlighted Trump's challenge in shaping foreign affairs while maintaining political support at home with the isolationist and ascendent MAGA wing of the Republican Party. "Trump has found that making peace is hard," said Richard Gowan, the UN director of the International Crisis Group. A Marine stands outside the West Wing of the White House on June 17, 2025 in Washington, DC. A Marine stands outside the West Wing of the White House on June 17, 2025 in Washington, reality has quickly set in as Trump considers what role the U.S. should play in the strikes Israel launched against Iran last week to end Tehran's nuclear program. Israel has targeted Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities, including the fortified site at Fordow, but most experts believe it can't destroy the underground compound without special U.S. bunker-busting bombs that can only be flown by American military aircraft. "In the case of Iran, if the U.S. goes in that would be a massive show of military force," Gowan said. "But it could also end up with Trump getting sucked into a Middle East quagmire, which is exactly what he accused his predecessors of doing." Trump signaled Tuesday that the U.S. may join Israel in a direct strike against Iran, though he has also said that Tehran still wants to strike a nuclear deal with the U.S. despite missing a recent White House-imposed deadline to reach an agreement. In social media posts throughout the day, Trump called for Iran's "unconditional surrender" and suggested that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, could be targeted for assassination. "We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least for now," Trump said Tuesday in one message on Truth Social, suggesting the U.S. knows his location. The threat is a contrast from Trump's rhetoric in his first weeks back in the White House, when he promised to make good on a campaign pledge to disentangle America from foreign conflicts even as he launched trade wars that roiled the global economy. Trump touted the start of peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine as an early victory, but the talks have since failed to make any significant progress toward ending that war. Israel ramped up its military operations in Gaza in the months since Trump took office, coinciding with an increase in violent conflicts on Trump's watch, according to a report released Tuesday by the Institute for Economics and Peace. Smoke rises over Tehran, Iran after a reported Israeli strike on June 16, 2025. Smoke rises over Tehran, Iran after a reported Israeli strike on June 16, 2025. Stringer/Getty Images There are 59 active conflicts between nation states, an increase from last year and the most since World War II, according to the institute's 2025 Global Peace Index. Of course, Trump isn't the first U.S. president to see his domestic agenda updated by foreign affairs beyond his control. Trump's recent predecessors — from former Presidents George W. Bush to Joe Biden — also became directly or indirectly enmeshed in foreign wars. But Trump's situation is somewhat unique, given the growing foreign policy divide among lawmakers in his own party. Joining Israel's fight with Iran would anger MAGA hardliners and drive a wedge between them and establishment Republicans who want Tehran to end its push to develop nuclear weapons. "Trump's supporters are in different places. Some, like [Rep.] Marjorie Taylor Greene, are saying you can't be part of Make America Great Again if you go to war in the Middle East," said Daniel Byman, the director of the Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "But other voices in the Republican Party see Iran's nuclear program as a major threat to U.S. national security." Beyond the domestic politics, Trump's calculus is further complicated by Israel's increasingly aggressive posture towards Iran. Israel may not be willing to back down if the U.S. pushes for a quick end to hostilities to avoid a broader regional war, Middle East analysts who spoke to Newsweek said. And there is no guarantee Trump could swiftly end the conflict by having the U.S. join Israel in the war, said Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. "When a country has spent years enriching uranium like Iran has, you need some sort of diplomatic agreement that leads to mechanics verifying that everything has been locked down or destroyed," Katulis said. "There's no fool-proof military solution."
