Once again U.S. President Donald Trump found himself at odds with other members of the G-7. And once again the root of the problem is his continued insistence on bringing Russia back to the fold in a reconstituted G-8.
Just as he was rebuffed when he first made the proposal prior to last year’s G-7 conference in Charlevoix, Canada, so he was again just prior to this year’s conference in Biarritz, France.
Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Canada all pointed out that Russia was expelled from the G-8 in 2014 because of its illegal annexation of Crimea and initiation of the separatist rebellion in the Donbas.