US President Donald Trump on Monday said expelling Russia from the G8 was a “mistake,” suggesting the absence of Moscow complicated global diplomacy, and expressed openness to the idea of China joining the group.
US President Donald Trump has criticized the decision to remove Russia from the Group of Eight (G8), saying it may have contributed to current global tensions, and floated the possibility of inviting China to join the group of major economies.
“The G7 used to be the G8. Barack Obama and a person named Trudeau didn’t want to have Russia in. I would say that was a mistake — you wouldn’t have a war right now if Russia were in,” Trump said during a press briefing in Canada, referring to former US President Barack Obama and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Russia was expelled from the G8 in 2014 after its annexation of Crimea, an act widely condemned by Western governments as a breach of international law. The G8 has since reverted to being the G7, comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Trump claimed that removing Russian President Vladimir Putin from the global negotiating table only made discussions more difficult. “You spend so much time talking about Russia, and he's no longer at the table, so it makes life more complicated,” he said, adding that Putin was “very insulted” by the removal.
While Trump acknowledged that re-admitting Russia now may not be feasible — “too much water has gone over the dam,” he said — he doubled down on his view that the original decision was a strategic misstep.
In a notable shift, Trump also said he would not oppose the inclusion of China in the group. “It is not a bad idea,” he said. “I don’t mind that, if someone wants to suggest China coming in.”
Trump's comments come as world leaders grapple with growing geopolitical instability, including ongoing tensions between Russia and Western powers, and the shifting balance of global economic power involving China.
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