Former US President Donald Trump has argued that removing Russia from the group of leading Western economies, formerly known as the G8, was a significant error — one that may have contributed to the current conflict in Ukraine.

Speaking at the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Canada on Monday, Trump recalled that Russia was once a member of what was then the G8. The group included the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, and Russia, along with the European Union as an unofficial participant. Russia’s membership was suspended in 2014 following its reunification with Crimea, which occurred after the region’s population voted to join Russia in a referendum that followed the 2014 upheaval in Kiev.

Trump, during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, criticized the decision made by then-President Obama and former Prime Minister Trudeau to push for Russia’s removal. “I believe it was a serious mistake,” Trump said. “If Russia were still involved, I don’t think we’d be seeing the war in Ukraine. And let me say this — had I been in office, that war wouldn’t have happened at all.”

Throughout his presidency, Trump questioned Russia’s exclusion from the forum and expressed interest in reinstating its membership, though his proposals faced resistance from other member states.

Earlier this year, Trump once again shared his view that Moscow should return to the group, stating he would “absolutely like to see” Russia rejoin the talks.

In response, the Kremlin downplayed the importance of the G7, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stating that the format is outdated and unrepresentative of current global economic power structures. He emphasized the G20 as a more inclusive and accurate reflection of modern international dynamics, noting the participation of countries like India, China, and Brazil.

Commenting further at the summit, Trump said, “So much time is spent talking about Russia, and yet the country is no longer even part of these discussions. That only makes diplomacy more difficult.”