Trump's G7 counterparts aren't ready to invite Putin back in

Trump and Vladimir Putin discussed plans for September's G7 summit today.

Why it matters: That may sound unusual, until you recall that Russia was expelled from the then-G8 in 2014 over its invasion of Crimea.

As this year's host, Trump can invite additional countries to attend. He plans to include Russia, Australia, India and South Korea in a summit that was pushed back from late June after Germany's Angela Merkel said she wouldn't attend due to COVID-19.

• Following Trump's curveball, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the U.K. would veto any attempt to bring Russia back into the fold as a member, something Trump has floated in the past.
• Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went a step further, seeming to object to the idea of Russia attending the summit in any capacity, while declining to say whether he'd boycott if Russia was invited.

Between the lines: After broadening the invite list, Trump criticized the current G7 lineup — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S — as "outdated."

• Trudeau said the annual G7 summits bring together "allies and friends who share so much," while the G20 — which includes Russia as well as China — includes countries "we don’t necessarily have great relations with."

Meanwhile, Putin today set July 1 as the new date for a constitutional referendum that could allow him to remain in power through 2036.

• Putin was forced to delay the referendum from April due to the coronavirus pandemic. He set the date despite his falling popularity amid Russia's continued struggles to contain its outbreak.

Go deeper: Pandemic brings Putin down to size