Susan Rice, a national security adviser to former President Obama, blasted President Trump on Sunday for suggesting Russia be readmitted to the Group of Seven (G-7).
Rice said Trump made “a disgraceful statement” when he said Obama “allowed Russia to take Crimea.”
“Rather than understand Russia is our adversary, Russia had taken on behavior that is absolutely reprehensible … for the president of the United States to suggest all that is forgotten, that we are together, that we are fine with one country annexing another country’s sovereign territory is outrageous,” Rice said.
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Russia was booted from the then-Group of Eight (G-8) in 2014 for its widely denounced annexation of Crimea. Trump first expressed support for Russia’s readmission into the G-7 on Friday to reporters on the White House lawn before departing for the weekend’s summit in Canada.
“Whether you like it or not, and it may not be politically correct, but we have a world to run,” Trump said. “And in the G-7, which used be the G-8, they threw Russia out. They should let Russia come back in because we should have Russia at the negotiating table.”
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte backed Trump’s position later that day, saying the move would be “in everyone’s interest.”
However, the idea did not gain traction with fellow G7 members. In a joint statement at the end of this weekend’s meetings, G-7 leaders urged Russia “to cease its destabilizing behavior, to undermine democratic systems and its support of the Syrian regime.”
Rice argued that the Obama administration provided support to the Ukranian government to build up its military defense against Russia. All G-7 members, Rice added, agreed to expel Russia for its actions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday he would be “ready” to welcome other world leaders to Moscow.