Germany rejects Trump's idea to bring Russia back into G7
Photo: Germany's Minister of Finance, Joerg Kukies (Getty Images)
German Finance Minister Joerg Kukies told Reuters in an interview that Russia will not be readmitted into the Group of Seven nations as US president Donald Trump has requested.
"The condemnation of the G7 of Russia's war of aggression is very clear, especially on the third anniversary of Russia's brutal attack," Kukies said, adding that Trump's proposal would not get the unanimity required.
Kukies said the G7 could discuss longstanding proposals to use $300 billion of Russian sovereign assets frozen in Europe for the reconstruction of Ukraine, "but the discussions are just starting. It's probably a bit early to say."
World trade
Kukies will travel on Tuesday to Cape Town for the G20 meeting of finance ministers, with the US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent staying away due to a scheduling conflict.
The current state of the global economy will be a central topic of the meetings.
"We really need to re-embark on a path of economic growth," Kukies said. Germany "has a lot of homework to do," he added.
A trade war between the US and the EU can be avoided as both sides are willing to negotiate, Kukies said. "No one has an interest in starting a trade war."
Kukies was named finance minister by Chancellor Olaf Scholz in November after Scholz's governing coalition collapsed, and is due to serve until a new government is formed following Sunday's election, which was won by Friedrich Merz's conservatives.
G7
The G7 (Group of Seven) is an international club of the world’s most economically developed countries, comprising the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan. The European Union is also involved but is not a full member.
In 1997, Russia was officially admitted to the group, and it became known as the G8 (Group of Eight) during a period of closer ties between the West and Russia following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
However, in 2014, after Russia annexed Crimea and the start of the war in Donbas, Russia was excluded from the G8, and the group returned to the G7 format as part of the international response to Russia's aggressive policies.
Since then, Russia has not been a member of the group, and its return to the G7 is not considered.
However, US President Donald Trump, who has been increasingly aligning with Moscow, stated that he would like to bring Russia back to the G7. According to him, it was a mistake to exclude Russia after it annexed Crimea in 2014.
Canada has already expressed its opposition to Russia's return to the Group of Seven.
