'Would love to have Russia back in G7': Trump says kicking out Moscow was a 'mistake'

United States President Donald Trump stated on Thursday that he would "love" to see Russia rejoin the G7, specifying its exclusion as a "mistake."

Speaking from the Oval Office while signing new executive orders, Trump also expressed trust in Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the Ukraine war, suggesting that he believes Putin is open to peace. His comments come amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict.

"Would love to have Russia back in G7, it was a mistake to kick Russia out," Trump said, according to a report by Reuters.

Trump also proposed the possibility of organising a summit with Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping once “things calm down.”

On Wednesday, Trump held a “lengthy and highly productive” phone conversation with Putin, during which they agreed to begin negotiations to end the war in Ukraine “immediately,” according to Trump.

The Kremlin confirmed that the call lasted 1.5 hours, with both leaders acknowledging that “the time has come to work together.” After the conversation, Trump also contacted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the path forward for peace.

Russia was suspended from the Group of Seven (G7) in March 2014 following its annexation of Crimea. Although its membership was never permanently revoked, the possibility of reinstating Russia has been periodically discussed by G7 members over the past decade.