Britain warned Washington that Russia must not be allowed to rejoin the G-7 after President Trump said he wanted to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to a summit of the world’s leading economic powers and floated proposals to expand its membership.
Trump said on Saturday that he would postpone the annual summit of world leaders until September and that Russia, South Korea, Australia, and India might be invited as part of a discussion on how to handle China.
However, Russian participation is highly sensitive in Britain. A police investigation identified two officers from Russian military intelligence as the main suspects in the 2018 attempted murder of a former spy with a nerve agent in the cathedral city of Salisbury.
A spokesman for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday said summit invitations were a matter for the host, in this case Trump.
But he added: “Russia was removed from the G-7 group following its annexation of Crimea, and we are yet to see evidence of its changed behavior which would justify readmittance.”
“We would not support it being readmitted as a member of the group unless it ceases aggressive and destabilizing activity that threatens the safety of U.K. citizens and the collective security of our allies,” he said.
Trump has repeatedly indicated that he would welcome Russia’s return to the group.
On Saturday, Trump said the G-7, which also includes Canada, Japan, Germany, Italy, and France, was “outdated” and in need of an overhaul.
“I don’t feel that, as a G-7, it properly represents what’s going on in the world,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One.
