Germany Rejects Trump's Proposal to Let Russia Back into G7

Trump raised the possibility last month of expanding the G7 to include again Russia, which had been excluded in 2014 after Moscow's seizure of the Crimea area of Ukraine.

Germany has rejected a proposal by US President Donald Trump to welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin back to the Group of Seven (G7) most developed economies, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a newspaper interview on Monday, reports Reuters.

Trump raised the prospect last month of expanding the G7 to include again Russia, which had been excluded in 2014 after Moscow's seizure of the Crimea region of Ukraine.

Yet Maas assured Rheinische Post that he saw little possibility of bringing Russia return to the G7 as long as there was no substantial change in settling the crisis in both Crimea and eastern Ukraine.

Russia itself could make the biggest contribution to becoming part of the G7 format again by contributing to a peaceful solution in the Ukraine conflict, Maas said.

Russia is still part of the G20, a broader grouping including other emerging-market economies.

“G7 and G20 are two sensibly coordinated formats. We don’t need G11 or G12 anymore,” Maas said in reference to Trump’s proposal to invite not only Russia, but other countries to G7 meetings.

Maas described the relationship with Russia as “currently difficult” in many areas. “But we also know that we need Russia to solve conflicts such as those in Syria, Libya and Ukraine. That will not work against Russia, but only with Russia.”

Germany, which took over the revolving six-month Presidency of the EU on 1 July, played a mediating position in both Libya and Ukraine.

“But Russia also has to make its contribution, which is very slow in Ukraine,” Maas said.