Canada is strongly opposed to Russia’s return to the G7, Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly has stated. U.S. President Donald Trump recently commented that Russia should be given an opportunity to rejoin the G7.
During a press conference at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Joly was asked whether she and her international counterparts had discussed Russia’s return to the G7. She responded, “No. There has been no discussion on this matter among us. Speaking on behalf of Canada, I can say there is no possibility of this happening.”
The Munich Security Conference in 2025, under Canada’s presidency, marks the first meeting of foreign ministers. Joly will also be the host of the foreign ministers’ meeting in Charlevoix, Quebec, from March 12-24.
Until its suspension in 2014, Russia was part of what was then known as the Group of Eight. However, Moscow’s membership was revoked following its attack on Ukraine, during which Russia annexed Crimea.
On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump argued that Russia should have remained a member of the group, suggesting that its inclusion could have prevented Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. “It’s not a matter of liking or disliking Russia. I would want to see them in the group. I believe removing them was a mistake,” he stated.
Federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has also said that Russia should not be allowed back into the G7, affirming that the decision to exclude Russia remains justified.
Joly reiterated that the G7 is committed to supporting Ukraine and emphasized that Ukraine and its European allies must engage in negotiations to bring an end to the war.
