‘WE HAVE A WORLD TO RUN’
Trump calls on G7 to reinstate Russia
Donald Trump said Friday that Russia should be readmitted to the G7 club of industrial economies four years after its expulsion over the annexation of Crimea, further provoking U.S. allies outraged or unnerved by the president’s swerve to trade protectionism.
Trump lobbed what amounted to a diplomatic stink bomb as he left the White House for the annual two-day G7 summit, where he arrived late and planned to leave early. Trump said he knows such outreach to Russia may not be “politically correct,” and he appeared to dismiss G7 members’ anger and hurt feelings over what they call unfair trade barriers and ingratitude from Washington.
“All of these countries have been taking advantage of the United States on trade,” Trump said, citing Canadian dairy tariffs. “We have massive trade deficits with almost every country. We will straighten that out,” Trump said during an approximately 20-minute impromptu question and answer session with reporters outside the White House.
“And I’ll tell you what, it’s what I do. It won’t even be hard. And in the end, we’ll all get along.”
Trump did appear to get along with the other leaders when he finally arrived in Charlevoix. He arrived too late for a scheduled sit-down meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been one of Trump’s toughest critics on trade over the past few weeks.
Trump’s comments on Russia, however, were a repudiation of the position the G7 took in 2014 to exclude Russia because of what the members called the illegitimate annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
“Now, I love our country. I have been Russia’s worst nightmare,” Trump said in Washington. “But with that being said, Russia should be in this meeting. Whether you like it or not, and it may not be politically correct, but we have a world to run ... They should let Russia come back in.”
Most other members of the G7, including the leaders of the United Kingdom, Germany and France, are unlikely to agree to Trump’s call for readmitting Russia, meaning the suggestion could further divide the group and make it even more ineffectual.
In an interview with Sky News on Friday, British Prime Minister Theresa May said it was important to “engage with Russia.”
But, she added, “Let’s remember why the G8 became the G7. And before discussions could begin on any of this, we would have to ensure Russia is amending its ways and taking a different route.”
Trump on Friday also reiterated his plans to take a tough stance on trade with U.S. allies at the summit, threatening again to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement.
“We have to change it, and they understand it’s going to happen,” Trump said. “If we’re unable to make a deal, we’ll terminate NAFTA. We’ll make a better deal.”
The comments marked the latest in declarations in recent days that have completely redirected the focus the G7, an organization Trump has shown little regard for since taking office last year.
In an earlier Twitter post, Trump said the United States would emerge victorious if other nations refused to accede to his trade demands, suggesting that he plans to employ a take-it-or-leave-it bargaining position with other world leaders at the summit here.
Thursday evening, when tensions between Trump and the leaders of France and Canada appeared to be boiling over, the U.S. leader vowed to impose new tariffs and other economic penalties against Canada and the European Union if they did not allow more U.S. imports into their countries.
Adding to fears that the group is becoming the G6 plus one, the rift with the U.S. is likely to mean there will not be a formal agreed statement at the end of the summit.
On Thursday, Macron said on Twitter, “The American President may not mind being isolated, but neither do we mind signing a 6 country agreement if need be.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it remains uncertain whether the talks will produce a joint communique. Instead, she said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau could issue a less-formal chair’s statement.
“I cannot say whether there will be a common statement or just a summary,” Merkel said on Friday.
It would mark a rare break in protocol for the group. The consensus documents typically outline a shared vision of global affairs, where the seven countries also undertake commitments on everything from currencies, development aid and international security.