Trump in the G7: the withdrawal of G8 Russia was a “big mistake”
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President Donald Trump criticized former President Barack Obama and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for their 2014 “very big error” when Russia was withdrawn from the G8 summit, which, according to Trump, would have prevented the additional war from separating between Russia and Ukraine.
“The G7 was the G8. Barack Obama and a person named Trudeau did not want to have Russia,” said Trump on Monday in Canada, where the G7 summit is organized when he was joined by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“I would say it was a mistake because I think you would not have a war right now if you had Russia. And you would not have a war right now if Trump was president four years ago,” said Trump. “But that didn’t work for this way. But it was the G8.”
Russia was officially withdrawn from the G8 summit meetings in 2014, following the annexation of Russia from Crimea from Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump speaks to the press at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, June 16, 2025. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images)
“They threw Russia, what I said was a very big mistake, even if I was not in politics at the time. I was very strong on this subject, it was a mistake,” he continued how he reacted to the news in 2014.
Trump later added to the meeting that he did not argue for Russian President Vladimir Putin to join the current summit, but that the previous decision over ten years ago to withdraw the country was a “big mistake”.
“But, it was a big mistake. Obama did not want it and the chief of your country (Trudeau), the proud chief of your country, did not want it. It was a big mistake. You would not have this war. You know, you have your enemy at the table … He was not really an enemy at that time. There was no concept,” continued Trump.
“If I was president, this war would never have arrived. But likewise, if it were a member of the, what was called the G8 at the time, it was still the G8, you would not have a war at the moment.”
Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Donald Trump took off the former president of Mexico, Enrique Pena Nieto. (Reuters)
The G7 summit started at a ski resort back in Alberta in Canada on Monday, and includes leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the European Union and the United Kingdom, representing seven of the world’s largest economies. The meeting, which ends Tuesday, marks the first Trump G7 summit in its second administration.
President Donald Trump speaks while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney (R) reveals themselves when they come together at the Summit of the Seven Group (G7) at Pomroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada on June 16, 2025. Also photo, L / R, are American secretaries of Treasury Scott Bessent, American secretary of Marco Rubio and US Ambassador Treasury Scott Hoeksstar in the Marco Rubio and Ambassador in the United States Canada Ambassador. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images)
Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also join the top and should meet Trump.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (Vyacheslav prokofyev / Sputnik / Kremlin Pool Photo / Efrem Lukatsky / AP)
The summit is expected to focus largely on the climbing of attacks between Israel and Iran, after Israel launched pre -empty strikes on Iran on Thursday evening after months of attempted nuclear negotiations and subsequent stabbing and concern that Iran progresses in its nuclear program.
The strikes, which were part of “Operation Rising Lion of Israel,“Ciré the nuclear and missile infrastructure of Iran and killed at least four Iranian military leaders.
Us to Boycott G8 Summit in Sochi unless Russia reverses the course on Ukraine
Firefighters and rescue staff work on an impact site following an Iran missile attack against Israel, Haifa, Israel, June 15, 2025. (Rami Shush / Reuters)
Iran said that strikes were a “declaration of war” and later launched its own strikes on Israel, which rocked residential communities and left the inhabitants killed and buried under the rubble of buildings.
Trump continued to push to Iran to conclude a nuclear agreement after the country withdrew from the negotiations in progress with the United States on Sunday.
The soldiers place the Ukrainian flag on the coffin during the war with Russia. (Photo / Nariman el-moofty) (AP)
“They liked (Iran) to speak, but they should have done it before. I had 60 days and they had 60 days. And on the 61st day, I said, we did not have an agreement. They had to conclude an agreement. And, it is painful for both parties. But I would say that Iran does not win this war. And they should speak and they should speak immediately before it is too late,” he said.
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The summit should also focus on trade and the current war between Russia and Ukraine.
