Ahead of the G-7 summit in Canada Friday, President Trump told reporters that he thinks Russia, which was ousted from the group of countries with the leading advanced economies for annexing Crimea, to be reinstated — re-forming a Group of 8 (G-8).
Why it matters: As with the big-stakes talks with China and North Korea, this is Trump granting an enormous concession absent reciprocity, putting him further at odds with U.S. allies ahead of today's G-7 summit.
Be smart: Trump has been consistently criticized for seeming lenient toward Russia despite their threats to U.S. democracy, including the Kremlin's interference in the 2016 presidential election.
More from Trump's 20-minute chat with reporters:
- Scott Pruitt's ethical behavior: "Scott Pruitt is doing a great job within the walls of the EPA," but "I'm not saying he's blameless"
- Trump said he's considering pardoning thousands of people, including deceased boxer Muhammad Ali.
- NFL players kneeling for the National Anthem: "I'm going to ask them to recommend to me people who are unfairly treated."
