WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th August, 2019) US President Donald Trump believes that Russia should be invited back into G7, US State Secretary Mike Pompeo said, adding that Washington was planning to work toward that direction.
Pompeo was speaking with FOX59 WXIN and CBS4 WTTV late Tuesday.
Asked whether Russia should be invited back into G7 format, Pompeo said that "the president thinks so."
"The president thinks that's what we should do. I work for the president. Of course, we're going to work towards that end," he said.
This is not the first time Trump hints at US Interest in Russia's readmission into the Group of Seven. On Monday, Trump said during a G7 press conference in Biarritz, France, that he would invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to the G7 summit scheduled to take place in the United States in 2020.
Also on Monday, Trump said that it could be beneficial to have Russia at the next meeting of the Group of Seven most industrialized nations that his country will host in 2020.
The G8 format had been in place from 1998-2014 but was reduced to the G7 due to disagreements with Russia regarding the events in Crimea and Ukraine. The G7 have accused Moscow of interfering in Ukraine's domestic affairs and introduced sanctions on Russia as a result. Recently, more and more members of the Western political establishment have begun questioning the wisdom of antagonizing Russia and refusing mutually beneficial cooperation.
