Trump calls for Russia to rejoin G7. Why does it matter?
US President Donald Trump on Friday (Feb 14) said that he would love to have Russia return to the G7 group of advanced economies, stressing that it was a “mistake” to throw them out.
Trump suggested various entities other than Moscow were to blame for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“I’d love to have them back. I think it was a mistake to throw them out. Look, it’s not a question of liking Russia or not liking Russia,” the US president said at the White House.
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Trump blamed former President Joe Biden and Russia’s 2014 ouster from the Group of Eight (G8) as factors that may have led to the conflict.
Why does it matter?
The G7 nations include Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom. These economies dominate global trade.
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Moreover, Russia was a member of the G8 until 2014 when it was expelled from the group in response to its annexation of Crimea, a region of Ukraine.
Trump has called it before too
Earlier in June 2020, Trump called it “common sense” to let Russia back in, saying that addressing issues would be much easier with Moscow at the table.
However, Canada refused to bring Russia back. Germany also said that it was not the appropriate time.
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Before that also, in 2018, Trump suggested that Russia be allowed to come back into the alliance.
“I think it would have been very helpful, and it still would be helpful, to have Russia be part of that mix,” Trump said. “And if they were I don’t think you would have had the problem that you have now.”
In February 2022, Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine that President Vladimir Putin said was in response to the expansion of the NATO alliance.
(With inputs from agencies)
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