Once again, President Trump pushed the idea of allowing Russia back into the Group of Seven (G7) even though nothing has changed since the U.S. and its allies expelled Russia for violating Ukraine's sovereignty and annexing Crimea in 2014.
“You know we spent probably 25 percent of our time talking about Russia. And I said to myself 'wouldn’t it be better if they were here,’” Trump said during an interview with Fox News’s Bret Baier.
“Now, I’m not for Russia. I’m for the United States," he continued. "But, as an example, if Vladimir Putin were sitting next to me at a table instead of one of the others… I could say, 'would you do me a favor and get out of Syria? Would you do me a favor, would you get out of Ukraine?'"
“If he were at that meeting, I could ask him to do things that are good for the world, that are good for our country that are good for him,” he added.
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In Wednesday's interview, which was recorded shortly after Trump's Tuesday summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the president repeated his assertion that the Obama administration did not do enough to stop Russia from annexing Crimea from Ukraine.
Susan Rice, a former national security adviser for President Obama, called it “disgraceful” that Trump faulted Obama for Russia’s actions.
Rice argued that the Obama administration provided support to the Ukranian government to build up its military defense against Russia. All G-7 members, Rice added, agreed to expel Russia for its actions.
Trump: If Russia were in G-7 I could ask Putin 'to do things that are good for the world' (The Hill)