Trudeau says Russia won't be included in the G7

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday that Russia will not be included in the Group of 7 nations, disagreeing with U.S. President Donald Trump, who said he plans to invite Russia.

Trudeau noted Russia was excluded from the group after it annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.

“Its continued disrespect and flaunting of international rules and norms is why it remains outside of the G7 and why it will continue to remain out,” Trudeau said.

Trump said Saturday that he will postpone until the fall a meeting of Group of 7 nations he had planned to hold this month at the White House despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. And he said he plans to invite Russia, Australia, South Korea and India, advocating for the group’s expansion.

The G7 members are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The group’s presidency rotates annually among member countries. Trump has repeatedly advocated for expanding the group to again include Russia, prompting opposition from some members.

The U.S. House of Representatives also passed a bipartisan resolution in December 2019 that supported Russia’s previous expulsion from the annual gathering. Russia had been included in the gathering of the world’s most advanced economies since 1997, but was suspended in 2014 following its invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea.