Merz Repudiates Trump’s Claim that Expelling Russia From G8 Was a Mistake
Western leaders did the right thing when they kicked Russia out of the G8 group of wealthy countries, the German chancellor has said, contradicting earlier comments by US President Donald Trump.
On Monday, Trump said Russia’s expulsion from the elite bloc in 2014 – a decision taken in response to the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine’s Crimea region – was a mistake.
Speaking as world leaders gathered at the G7 summit in Canada, the US leader claimed the current full-scale war in Ukraine would not have happened if Moscow had been kept in the group.
But Germany’s recently appointed chancellor, Friedrich Merz, shot down Trump’s comments and defended the actions of those in charge over a decade ago.
“I still think that the exclusion of [Russian President] Vladimir Putin from the G8 format after the annexation of Crimea was the right thing to do,” Merz said in an interview with Welt TV on Tuesday, the last day of the summit in the mountain resort of Kananaskis.
He added that “there is no place for war criminals” in a group composed of the world’s largest economies and democracies. “Therefore, it is natural that there is no place for Putin at this table,” he said.
G7 leaders stand by Ukraine as Trump exits
Russian forces subjected Ukraine to a large-scale aerial bombardment overnight, killing several people in Kyiv and Odesa and injuring dozens more.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry claimed the missile and drone barrage was timed to coincide with the G7 summit “to make the leaders of the Group of Seven appear weak” and show the Kremlin’s “complete disregard for international peace efforts.”
President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the gathering on Tuesday as a guest—but a planned meeting with Trump was left hanging after the U.S. president left early to deal with the Israel-Iran crisis.
While most G7 countries have been steadfast in their support for Kyiv, since Trump returned to power in January, the US has been much more willing to listen to Russia’s view on the war.
In Trump’s absence, Zelensky met with the remaining G7 leaders, securing a new $1.47 billion military assistance package from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who also said he would impose fresh financial sanctions on Russia.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also unveiled a new wave of sanctions, targeting Moscow’s “shadow fleet” of oil tankers, and military suppliers and individuals operating from Britain.
Zelensky emphasized the need for Ukraine’s allies to put maximum pressure on Russia to force Putin into substantive peace talks. The Ukrainian leader has long accused his counterpart in the Kremlin of not taking negotiations over ending the conflict seriously.
“We are ready for the peace negotiations, unconditional ceasefire – I think it’s very important. But for this, we need pressure,” he said, speaking alongside Carney.
Carney set to call for more pressure
Sources told Reuters that Carney – as the host nation’s PM – is set to issue a chair statement calling for more pressure on Russia through sanctions and saying the G7 backs US-led peace efforts.
A European official said leaders had stressed to Trump their plans to be tough on Russia, and Trump seemed impressed, though he does not like sanctions in principle, the news agency reported.
Kyiv’s diplomats have urged G7 members to back proposals to reduce the price cap for Russian oil, accelerate the supply of air defense systems for Ukraine, and exploit frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine’s defense.
In a break from previous meetings, the G7 leaders were not expected to issue a joint communiqué at the end of this year’s summit. They did, however, issue a group statement on Monday calling for a resolution to the Israel-Iran conflict.
Source: Tvp World