Donald Trump Still Wants Russia Back in G7

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he wants Russia to be invited back to join the Group of Seven (G7) major economies.

Why It Matters

The G7 countries are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom. These economies dominate global trade. Russia was a member of the "G8" until 2014 when it was expelled from the group in response to its annexation of Crimea, part of Ukraine.

What To Know

Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin would "love to be back" in the group and that the country "should be sitting at the table."

"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. It was the G8," Trump said at the White House when he announced new U.S. reciprocal tariffs.

This is not the first time Trump has pushed for Putin and Russia to rejoin the G7. In June 2020, Trump called it "common sense" to let Russia back in, arguing that addressing issues would be much easier with Moscow at the table.

At the time, Trump had also invited Australia, South Korea and India to join the economic group.

Canada had objected to Russia's return. Germany had in 2020 also said it was not the appropriate time. French President Emmanuel Macron, however, agreed with Trump in 2019 about the move.

Since then, Russia has launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths. As of 2025, Russian troops occupy approximately 20 percent of Ukraine, according to the Council on Foreign Relations' Global Conflict Tracker.

Trump has said that the war "would never have happened" if he was in office at the time.

Speaking in Brussels on Thursday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that "everything is on the table" in any future negotiations between Russia and Ukraine amid its war, one day after asserting that NATO membership for Ukraine is unrealistic.

What People Are Saying

National security adviser Robert O'Brien told Fox News: "Putin's a thug, and President Trump has called him a thug. He's called him a tough guy and a strong man, but we've got to get this war settled...We have a lot to offer the Russians. We could pull back the sanctions. We could give them what they need for their economy."

President Donald Trump told Fox News Radio in 2020: "Many of the things that we talk about are about Putin. Have him in the room...get things done."

What Happens Next

Canada, the current chair of the G7, may have a response later to Trump's comment.

Update 2/13/25, 3:12 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.