US President Donald Trump on Monday said it was a mistake to throw Russia out of the G8 and that he would not mind China joining the G7, in comments he made while attending the Group of Seven summit in Canada on Monday.
The leaders from seven major advanced economies – Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the US, along with the European Union – are convening in the resort area of Kananaskis in the Canadian Rockies until Tuesday.
With an escalating Israel-Iran conflict, the summit in Canada is seen as a vital moment to try to restore a semblance of unity among democratic powerhouses.
In an early sign that they may struggle to reach agreement on key issues, a US official said Trump would not sign a draft statement calling for de-escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict.
Speaking alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump said kicking Russia out of the former Group of Eight was a mistake. Members removed Russia in 2014 after it annexed Crimea.
“This was a big mistake,” Trump said. “You wouldn’t have that war. You know you have your enemy at the table, I don’t even consider, he wasn’t really an enemy at that time.”
Canada has abandoned any effort to adopt a comprehensive communique to avert a repeat of the 2018 summit in Quebec, when Trump instructed the US delegation to withdraw its approval of the final communique after leaving. Leaders have prepared several other draft documents seen by Reuters, including on migration, artificial intelligence, and critical mineral supply chains. None of them have been approved by the United States, however, according to sources briefed on the documents.
