Donald Trump says he trusts Putin and that Russia should return to G7 - labelling Moscow's expulsion 'a mistake'
13 February 2025, 21:30
Donald Trump has suggested it was a "mistake" to expel Russia from the G7 following the outbreak of war against Ukraine and said he trusts Vladimir Putin.
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Trump suggested Russia should return to the G7 on Thursday - a group of the most advanced world economies, noting that expelling the country "was a mistake".
Russia was a member of the group, then known as the G8, until its invasion of Crimea in 2014.
He told reporters: "I'd love to have them back. I think it was a mistake to throw them out. Look, it's not a question of liking Russia or not liking Russia. It was the G8.
"I said, 'What are you doing? You guys - all you're talking about is Russia and they should be sitting at the table.'
"I think Putin would love to be back."
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He also said that he believes Putin wants to have peace in Ukraine, following a 90-minute phone call on Wednesday.
Trump said: "I believe President Putin when I spoke to him yesterday. I know him very well.
"I think he wants peace. I think he would tell me if he didn’t.
“I trust him on this subject. I think he’d like to see something happen."
It comes after US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth met with other NATO leaders and said Trump had given him a "clear mission" to "achieve peace through strength as well as put America first".
America's pushback came after Ukraine's president warned the US not to "allow everything to go to Putin's plan" following Trump's claim that he and Putin had agreed to start talks on ending the conflict.
The US president held individual calls with the Russian leader and Mr Zelenskyy on Wednesday.
Following the Nato meeting, Secretary General Mark Rutte asserted that "Ukraine will be involved in peace talks" ahead of any international negotiations to end the war with Russia.
On Thursday, Zelenskyy announced he was "grateful to President Trump" after the pair shared a phone call.
Ukraine's president added he does not see Trump's phone call with the Russian leader "as a sign that talking to Russia was a priority for the US president".
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Zelensky added that he won't "accept any agreements" made without Ukraine's involvement, adding it's "not very pleasing in any case".
"There can be no talk about Ukraine without Ukraine", he confirmed, adding: "Europeans need to be at the negotiating table too".
Hours earlier, the UK Defence Secretary declared there can be no peace negotiations linked to the war in Ukraine without Ukraine’s permission.