Putin excludes possibility of returning to G7

During his visit to India on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia has no intention of returning to the Group of Seven (G7) major industrial nations. Speaking to India Today, Putin highlighted that the G7's portion of the global economy has been steadily declining over the years.

The G7 consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, with the European Union also participating in its discussions. Russia was expelled from the grouppreviously known as the G8following the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Since then, the remaining members have aligned around shared Western democratic principles, despite growing divergences between the United States and other member nations during Donald Trumps presidency.

Russia had joined the group in 1998, not because of its economic power, but due to its significant influence in global politics. Recent US-backed proposals to resolve the conflict in Ukraine suggested the possibility of Russias readmission to the G7. This idea, however, was met with skepticism from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who expressed doubts about whether the member nations are prepared for such a step.

Putin noted that this topic was not part of discussions with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff or Jared Kushner, who visited Moscow on Tuesday to engage in talks about ending the conflict in Ukraine.

Author: Harper Simmons