Earlier, following remarks by US President Donald Trump that he would “certainly” support Russia’s return to the G7 to recreate the G8 group of nations, a ‘high-ranking source’ in Brussels told reporters that doing so would be a “sign of weakness.”
European Council President Donald Tusk said the European Union cannot agree with President Trump’s logic in inviting Russia back into the UK, saying he would try to convince the bloc’s other leaders that it would be better to invite Ukraine as a guest to the next G7 meeting instead.
Russia, Tusk argued, has not ‘earned’ the right to reenter the club.
Speaking at the G7 summit, which kicked off in Biarritz, France on Saturday, Tusk warned that the summit would be a ‘difficult test of unity and solidarity’ among members of the bloc amid the trade conflicts between countries. Tusk said such conflicts have a potential to further erode ‘already weakened trust’ among the nations, and that the past year has shown that it is ‘increasingly difficult’ for the countries to find a common language.
Tusk also warned Trump against using tariffs for ‘political reasons’, saying that doing so could be risky for the entire world, including the EU.