Expelling Russia from the G7 Was a Mistake
Hints at Possible Trilateral Summit with Xi Jinping and Putin
Ukraine Will Participate in Peace Negotiations
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the current Group of Seven (G7) summit should be restored to the Group of Eight (G8) format, including Russia. He also hinted at the possibility of a trilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
On the 13th (local time), after signing a presidential memorandum on reciprocal tariffs in the White House Oval Office, President Trump commented on Russia's expulsion from the Group of Eight (G8) summit, saying, "I hope they come back. It was a mistake to expel Russia." He explained, "This is not about liking or disliking Russia," adding, "We are just talking about Russia, so we should bring them back to the table. I believe Putin would also want to return."
He argued that if Russia had remained in the G8, the Russia-Ukraine war might not have broken out, emphasizing the need to restore the G8 format. He claimed, "Obama and some others made a mistake by expelling Russia," and stated, "If Russia had been in the G8, it is highly likely that the full-scale war in Ukraine would not have started."
Russia was expelled from the G8 summit in 2014 due to its forced annexation of the Crimean Peninsula. While Western countries continue to oppose Russia's reentry, President Trump had previously proposed during his tenure that Russia should be included again in the G7 summit, restoring the G8 format.
However, Canada, the chair country of this year's G7, has shown little reaction to President Trump's remarks. Given that Russia's expulsion from the G8 stemmed from its invasion of Crimea, the possibility of accepting Trump's proposal appears slim.
President Trump also expressed his ambition to hold arms reduction talks by meeting with President Putin and President Xi Jinping together. He said, "Once the situation stabilizes, I will meet with China and Russia," adding, "So there is almost no reason for the military to spend nearly $1 trillion, and we can use that money elsewhere."
He continued, "Once things settle down, the first talks I want to have are with China and Russia about reducing nuclear weapons and not having to spend money on arms," and said, "I want to talk about cutting military spending in half."
When asked if a trilateral summit with President Xi and President Putin was possible, he replied, "It could be," but added, "Let's see if the situation calms down." This hinted at the possibility of a trilateral summit among the U.S., China, and Russia. At the Davos Forum in Switzerland on the 23rd of last month, he also mentioned nuclear arms reduction talks with China and Russia, saying, "We want to know if we can achieve denuclearization, and I think it is quite possible."
Regarding the end of the Russia-Ukraine war, he expressed trust in President Putin's willingness to negotiate. When asked if he believed Putin's statement about wanting peace in the negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war, he answered, "I believe he wants peace."
He added, "If he didn't (want peace), he would have told me," and said, "I trust him on this matter. He wants to see something happen."
Earlier, President Trump announced that he had agreed to start negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war during a phone call with President Putin the previous day. Following the sudden declaration of negotiations to end the war, the European faction of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) immediately opposed it, stating that Europe and Ukraine, the parties involved, must participate in the talks.
One day after controversy arose over the exclusion of Ukraine, President Trump said that Ukraine would also participate in the peace talks. When asked whether Ukraine would join the negotiations, he replied, "Of course they would," adding, "They are one of the parties." He emphasized, "Ukraine will be there, Russia will be there, and others will also be involved."
Meanwhile, regarding the planned meeting between Vice President J.D. Vance and President Zelenskyy at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, President Trump said, "They will meet tomorrow," adding, "Russia will also come, Ukraine has been invited, and while it is not certain who will attend, it will be senior officials from Russia, Ukraine, and the United States."
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