Trump calls for Russia's return to G8 and arms talks with China
U.S. President Donald Trump declared on Thursday that removing Russia from the G8 group of countries (now the G7) was a mistake and expressed his desire for Russia to rejoin this informal club. He announced the beginning of arms control talks with China and Russia and stated that NATO was the reason for Russian aggression.
- I'd love to have them back. I think it was a mistake to throw them out. Look, it's not a question of liking Russia or not liking Russia. It was the G8 - said Trump during a ceremony signing orders related to new tariffs.
This is not a question of liking or disliking Russia. It was the G8 at one point, and I said, ‘What are you doing? You talk about Russia all the time, so why isn’t Russia at the table?’ I’m sure Russia would like to come back. Obama and a few other people made a mistake by excluding them. It’s quite possible that if the G8 had stayed, there would not have been a crisis in Ukraine. And if I were president, Russia would never have invaded Ukraine, - he added, referring to Russia's expulsion from the group of major Western economies after the annexation of Crimea.
The president also assured that Ukraine would obviously have a place at the negotiating table to end the war but simultaneously confirmed Wednesday's statements by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth that it would not join NATO and would not regain all lost territories.
He stated that his Wednesday and Thursday comments (Hegseth said that his earlier words do not mean taking the issue of alliance membership off the negotiating table) are appropriate. He again blamed his predecessor, Joe Biden, for provoking Russia's aggression because Biden disagreed with Putin's demands to exclude Kyiv's membership in the Alliance.
- I don’t see any way that a country in Russia’s position could allow them, just in their position, could allow them to join NATO. I believe that’s the reason the war started. Because Biden went out and said they could join NATO. And he shouldn’t have said that - stated Trump.
Trump announces talks on arms reduction
Trump also announced that he will seek to convene talks with Russia and China on limiting nuclear and conventional arms.
Trump stated that once the situation stabilizes, he plans to engage in discussions with China and Russia, emphasizing that there is no justification for allocating nearly £770 billion to military spending. He suggested that these funds could be redirected elsewhere. He also asserted that during his first term, he had supposedly secured an agreement with Moscow and Beijing on nuclear arms reduction, but this effort was obstructed by what he described as the rigged 2020 elections.
China has consistently refused to engage in talks about limiting its nuclear arsenal, which, according to the Pentagon, currently includes over 600 warheads.
