Canada opposes Russia's return to the "G7" group. This was stated by the country's ambassador to Ukraine, Natalia Tsymok.
"I think we all need to remember the reasons why Russia was excluded from this group. That happened in 2014 after the annexation of Crimea, and I see that the conditions have not changed. Canada is not prepared to alter the G7 membership and will insist on its position," she noted.
The ambassador reminded that Canada's Foreign Minister, Mélanie Joly, held a meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference with her Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sibiga:
"This speaks volumes about the fact that Ukraine remains largely at the forefront of G7 priorities."
According to her, it is important for the "G7" to work together to enhance support for Ukraine and "continue to put pressure on Russia," which includes, among other things, tightening sanctions and closing loopholes.
"We clearly indicated that these are two ways the 'Group of Seven' will address the situation. But it is very important that it continues to robustly support Ukraine, and in terms of bilateral relations, nothing has changed for us," Tsymok added.
Trump's Statement on G7
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he would "gladly" welcome Russia back to the G7. He added that the decision to exclude Russia from the G7 was a mistake.
"It's not a matter of liking or disliking Russia. At one time, it was the G8, and I asked, 'What are you doing? You keep talking about Russia, so why isn't it at the table? I'm sure Russia would like to come back. Obama and a few others made a mistake by excluding it. It's quite possible that if the G8 had remained, there wouldn't have been a crisis in Ukraine. And if I were president, Russia would never have attacked Ukraine," Trump stated.