President Donald Trump expressed his desire for Russia to rejoin the Group of 7 nations, from which it was expelled a decade ago following its incursion into Ukraine. This viewpoint has been a recurring theme throughout Trump's first term, with the most recent mention made during a contentious dinner with G7 leaders in 2019.
However, the geopolitical landscape has shifted since then, with Russia's recent full-scale invasion of Ukraine further isolating Moscow on the global stage. This has transformed the G7 into a coalition of western nations in support of Kyiv.
Despite these developments, Trump is resolute in his stance. He broke a three-year silence between US and Russian leaders by engaging in a phone call with President Vladimir Putin. During a White House address, Trump reiterated his proposal to readmit Russia into the G7, thereby restoring it to the G8.
Trump emphasized that his position is not based on personal feelings towards Russia but rather on the historical composition of the G8. He suggested that Russia's exclusion was a mistake and implied that its presence could have averted the conflict in Ukraine.
Any alteration to the G7's membership would necessitate unanimous agreement among the leaders, making an immediate change unlikely.
