Trump wants Putin back in G7 and make it G8 as earlier. Why was Russia kicked out? Can it return?

At a G7 summit in Canada, US President Donald Trump called the decision to throw Russia out of the G8 a “big mistake”. He said, “You wouldn’t have that war,” suggesting that keeping Russia in the group might have prevented the Ukraine conflict.

Trump criticised then-US President Barack Obama and mistakenly blamed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for Russia’s removal, although Stephen Harper was actually Canada’s leader at the time.

He claimed that “too much water has gone over the dam” to bring Russia back now, but added that Russian President Vladimir Putin “was very insulted” by the move.

What is the G8 and how did Russia join?

The Group of Eight (G8) was an informal group of eight major industrialised nations, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, formed to discuss and coordinate global economic policy and political issues.

Russia joined the group in 1998, turning the G7 into the G8. Its inclusion was seen as a step towards integrating post-Soviet Russia into the Western-led global order.

What led to Russia’s removal from the G8?

Russia was removed from the group in 2014 after it annexed Crimea, a region that was internationally recognised as part of Ukraine. The move was condemned by the international community.

In a joint statement at the time, world leaders said, “International law prohibits the acquisition of part or all of another state’s territory through coercion or force… We condemn the illegal referendum held in Crimea in violation of Ukraine’s constitution.”

As a result, the remaining members of the G8 suspended Russia’s membership, reverting the group back to the G7.

Did Trump push to bring Russia back?

Yes. Trump has repeatedly said that Russia should be invited back into the group. He argued that having Putin at the table would make discussions more effective, saying that leaving Russia out “makes it more complicated”.

"You know you have your enemy at the table, I don’t even consider, he wasn’t really an enemy at that time," Trump said.

However, most G7 members remain firmly opposed to reinstating Russia, pointing to its continued military involvement in Ukraine and disregard for international law.

Trump’s comments about Russia's inclusion in G7 came a day before he was scheduled to meet his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, on the sidelines of the summit.

However, the meeting was cancelled as the White House stated that the US president would be leaving the summit early due to ongoing developments in the Middle East.