Trump questioned the correctness of Russia's exclusion from the G8

On June 17, US President Donald Trump, during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressed doubt that Russia's exclusion from the Group of Eight (G8) was a good idea.

"We had very good meetings in France. This group of countries used to be called the G8, now it is the G7. I don't know if it was a good decision or not, but now it's the G7," he said.

The American leader also noted that he still has a G2 meeting ahead of him. According to the Politico newspaper, Trump actually made it clear that he was considering the possibility of a bilateral format of cooperation between the United States and China.

It is noted that he had previously discussed a similar idea at a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, calling such a G2 summit.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with the Indian channel India Today last December that Russia did not want to return to the G8. Putin also noted that the G7 remains an important platform on which its participants work, discuss and make decisions, wishing them all the best.