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Robert Delaney

US President Donald Trump on Monday said he would welcome the inclusion of China and Russia in the G7, putting him directly at odds with the bloc’s position on the two countries just as the Group of Seven summit got under way in Canada.
The leaders from seven major advanced economies – Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US, along with the European Union – are convening in Kananaskis, Alberta, in the Canadian Rockies until Tuesday. Speaking alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump said kicking Russia out of the former G8 was a mistake.
Russia was frozen out of the grouping in 2014 over Moscow’s occupation and annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region. Nato also moved against the Kremlin at the time, suspending “all practical civilian and military cooperation” with Russia for the same reasons.
The G7 began taking a more forceful stance against China in 2021 during the first year of Joe Biden’s presidency, calling out Beijing on human rights and trade issues. Since then, concerns about the country’s practices have been a fixture of the annual communiqués.
G7 communiqués since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 took aim at both countries, including accusations that some entities in China were supporting the Kremlin’s war effort, which Trump has tried to halt through diplomatic efforts that have yet to produce any breakthroughs.

“This was a big mistake,” Trump said of the decision to leave Russia out of the G7.
“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,” he added, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Asked if Trump would welcome China into the group, Trump replied: “It’s not a bad idea. I don’t mind that. If somebody wants to suggest China coming in, I think we suggest that you want to have people that you can talk to.”
Last year in Italy, the G7 in its joint statement said it would “continue taking measures against actors in China and third countries that materially support Russia’s war machine, including financial institutions, consistent with our legal systems, and other entities in China that facilitate Russia’s acquisition of items for its defence industrial base”.
“We reiterate that entities, including financial institutions, that facilitate Russia’s acquisition of items or equipment for its defence industrial base are supporting actions that undermine the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.”
That statement further criticised some of Beijing’s market practices, many of which Trump has cited in the tariff action he has taken against China after starting his second term as US president this year.
“We express our concerns about China’s persistent industrial targeting and comprehensive non-market policies and practices that are leading to global spillovers, market distortions and harmful overcapacity in a growing range of sectors, undermining our workers, industries and economic resilience and security,” it said.
Asked for a comment about Trump’s remarks, Beijing’s embassy in Washington said only that multilateral groupings should “uphold multilateralism”.
“China has always maintained that any international organisation or conference should help enhance mutual trust among countries, uphold multilateralism, and promote world peace and development,” Liu Pengyu, the embassy’s spokesperson, said in an emailed reply to the Post.
Trump on Saturday spoke to Putin and suggested the Russian leader could play a mediation role between Israel and Iran, who this month have been locked in an exchange of military strikes.
But French President Emmanuel Macron dismissed the idea, arguing that Moscow could not be a negotiator because it had started an illegal war against Ukraine. The difference of opinion could prove a source of friction at this year’s G7 summit.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte were due to attend the gathering on Tuesday. European officials said they hoped to use the meeting and next week’s Nato summit to convince Trump to toughen his stance on Putin.
“The G7 should have the objective for us to converge again, for Ukraine to get a ceasefire to lead to a robust and lasting peace,” said Macron. “In my view it’s a question of seeing whether President Trump is ready to put forward much tougher sanctions on Russia.”
Additional reporting by Reuters


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Trump says he’d welcome China and Russia in G7, putting US at odds with bloc’s stance

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney (right) with US President Donald Trump after officially welcoming the American leader to the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, on Monday. Photo: The Canadian Press via AP

(From left) White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pete Hoekstra, US ambassador to Canada, at the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Canada, on Monday. Photo: AP

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Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, right, welcomes UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada on Sunday ahead of the G7 leaders’ summit. Photo: PA Wire / dpa

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US leader calls Kremlin’s 2014 expulsion ‘a big mistake’ and considering Beijing ‘not a bad idea’ as summit starts in Canada


US leader calls Kremlin’s 2014 expulsion ‘a big mistake’ and considering Beijing ‘not a bad idea’ as summit starts in Canada.


Trump says he’d welcome China and Russia in G7, putting US at odds with bloc’s stance

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}US leader calls Kremlin’s 2014 expulsion ‘a big mistake’ and considering Beijing ‘not a bad idea’ as summit starts in Canada

US leader calls Kremlin’s 2014 expulsion ‘a big mistake’ and considering Beijing ‘not a bad idea’ as summit starts in Canada