Trump calls Russia's exclusion from G7 a ‘very big mistake'
KANANASKIS, Alberta - As the Group of Seven leaders gathered for a summit in Canada on Monday focusing on conflict and trade, U.S. President Donald Trump bemoaned the exclusion of Russia.
Ahead of the official start of this year's G7 summit of leading democratic economies in Canada, Trump lamented that the decision at the time had been a "very big mistake."
"I think you wouldn't have a war right now if you had Russia in," he told Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, referring to Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched in 2022. He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin's absence from the table made things much more difficult.
The G7 format of talks between the seven major industrialized nations has existed since 1975. Russia became a full member of the group in 2002, and the format was called the G8 for 12 years.
But Russia was excluded in 2014 after Moscow annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea. Since then, the format has continued as the G7, made up of Canada, the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Japan.
Putin was very offended when he was banned from the group, Trump continued. "As I would be, as you would be, as anybody would be."
He said that was why Putin talks to no one but him. Trump stressed that now is not the right time to readmit Russia as too much has happened since but said Russia's exclusion was wrong at the time.
In the past though, Trump has also distanced himself from calls to readmit Russia to the group.
When asked by by a reporter Monday whether China, as one of the world's largest economies, should be included in the group, Trump replied during the meeting with Carney that this was "not a bad idea."
The summit, held in the mountain resort town of Kananaskis, opened with a session on the state of the global economy, with the talks hosted by Carney.
It is the first summit of the group of nations in Trump's second term, and the focus is likely to be on how far the West can find common ground despite the significant differences between Washington and the other members.
Key topics in the coming days include Russia's war on Ukraine, world trade - and the latest expanding conflict between Israel and Iran.
Monday's agenda also includes how the G7 countries can secure supplies of important raw materials.
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