Russia and Putin · Second term · № 91
Said he would "love" to have Russia back in the G7 and that expelling it was a mistake
“I'd love to have them back. I think it was a mistake to throw them out. Look, it's not a question of liking Russia or not liking Russia.”
- Said
- , Oval Office exchange with reporters, the White House
- Subject
- G7 readmission
- Type
- NATO and allies
- Topic
- Ukraine & Russia
- Era
- Second term
What happened
A day after his February 12, 2025 call with Putin, a reporter asked Trump whether he wanted to add Russia back to the G7. He said he would, adding, "I think Putin would love to be back." The Group of Eight expelled Russia in 2014 after it invaded parts of eastern Ukraine and annexed Crimea. Trump said "Obama and a couple of other people made a mistake" and that it was "very possible that if that was the G-8, you wouldn't have had the problem with Ukraine." He repeated the point at the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Canada, on June 16, 2025, calling the expulsion "a big mistake" while saying of readmission, "I'm not saying he should at this point, because too much water has gone over the dam."
Sources
- Remarks on Signing a Memorandum on Reciprocal Trade and Tariffs and an Exchange With Reporters
- Russia should be readmitted into G7, Trump says
- Remarks Prior to a Meeting With Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada and an Exchange With Reporters in Kananaskis, Canada
- WATCH: Trump says 'not a bad idea' to include China in G7, removing Russia 'a mistake'