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G7: Including Russia into the summit would be good for the world, says Trump

In an impromptu press conference held at the G7 summit in Canada, USA President Donald Trump said that including Russia back into the summit would be an ‘asset’.

“I think it would be good for the world. I think it would be good for Russia. I think it would be good for the United States. I think it would be good for all of the countries of the current G7. I think the G8 would be better.”

He also blamed ex-President Barack Obama for the annexation of Crimea by Russia.

“You’ll have to ask Obama, because he was the one that let Crimea get away,” he said when asked about the annexation. “He allowed Russia to take Crimea. I may have had a much different attitude.”

Following a day after Trump’s press conference, Vladmir Putin in the Qingdao SCO summit on Sunday said that such talks were welcome and ‘much needed’ in the wake of the new arms race among countries.

“I agree with him, and to have a meaningful discussion, our ministries of foreign affairs and experts should get involved and work closely together, and of course a meeting in person is necessary,” Putin told reporters.

Russia had earlier been suspended from the summit in 2014 when it had annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine, one of the first violations of a European country’s borders to be carried out after World War II.

Ned Price, spokesman for the former Obama Security Council said in an interview with CNN that Putin’s investment had paid off beyond the Russian president’s wildest dreams.

Trump has received a lot of flak from allies for voicing out such a decision, bringing into question the ex-CIA director’s claims that Trump fears Putin.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Saturday said, “Asking Russia to rejoin the G7 is not something we are even remotely looking at.”

Angela Merkel, German Vice chancellor also stated in a press conference on Friday that “a return by Russia to the G7 format cannot happen as long as there isn’t any substantial progress in regard to the problems with Ukraine”.

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