Trump at G7: Russia’s removal from G8 was ‘very big mistake’

President Donald Trump slammed former President Barack Obama and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for their 2014 “very big mistake” when Russia was removed from the G8 summit, which Trump argued would have prevented further war from breaking out between Russia and Ukraine. 

“The G7 used to be the G8. Barack Obama and a person named Trudeau didn’t want to have Russia in,” Trump said Monday from Canada, where the G7 summit is being held, while joined by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. 

“I would say that that was a mistake because I think you wouldn’t have a war right now if you had Russia. And you wouldn’t have a war right now if Trump were president four years ago,” Trump continued. “But it didn’t work out that way. But it used to be the G8.” 

Russia officially was removed from G8 summit meetings in 2014, following Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. 

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“They threw Russia out, which I claimed was a very big mistake, even though I wasn’t in politics then. I was very loud about that it was a mistake,” he continued of how he reacted to the news in 2014. 

Trump added later during the meeting that he was not arguing for Russian President Vladimir Putin to join the current summit, but that the previous decision more than a decade ago to remove the country was a “big mistake.” 

“But, it was a big mistake. Obama didn’t want them and the head of your country (Trudeau), the proud head of your country, didn’t want him. This was a big mistake. You wouldn’t have that war. You know, you have your enemy at the table … he wasn’t really an enemy at that time. There was no concept,” Trump continued, referring to Putin. 

“If I were president, this war would have never happened. But likewise, if he were a member of the, what was called the G8 at that time, it was always the G8, you wouldn’t have a war right now.”

The G7 summit kicked off in a remote ski resort town in Alberta, Canada, Monday, and includes leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the European Union and the United Kingdom, representing seven of the world’s largest economies. The meeting, which concludes Tuesday, marks Trump’s first G7 summit of his second administration.

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Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum are also joining the summit and are expected to meet with Trump. 

The summit this week is expected to largely focus on escalating attacks between Israel and Iran, after Israel launched preemptive strikes on Iran Thursday evening following months of attempted and stalled nuclear negotiations and subsequent heightened concern that Iran was advancing its nuclear program. 

The strikes, which were part of Israel’s “Operation Rising Lion,” targeted Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure and killed at least four Iranian military leaders.

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Iran said the strikes were a “declaration of war” and has subsequently launched its own strikes on Israel, which have rocked residential communities and left locals killed and buried under the rubble of buildings. 

Trump has continued pushing for Iran to make a nuclear deal after the country pulled out of ongoing negotiations with the U.S. Sunday. 

“They’d (Iran) like to talk, but they should have done that before. I had 60 days and they had 60 days. And on the 61st day I said, we don’t have a deal. They have to make a deal. And, it’s painful for both parties. But I’d say Iran is not winning this war. And they should talk and they should talk immediately before it’s too late,” he said. 

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The summit is expected to also focus on trade and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.