No G8

From the DW:

“Maas: Germany against US push to let Russia back into G7”

US President Donald Trump had suggested reintroducing Russia into the G7 last month. However, Moscow first needs to take greater efforts in solving the conflict in Ukraine, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has said. Germany has rejected a proposal floated by US President Donald Trump to allow Russia back into the Group of Seven (G7) most advanced economies, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in an interview published Monday. "The reason for Russia's exclusion was the annexation of Crimea and intervention in eastern Ukraine," he told the Rheinische Post newspaper. "As long as we do not have a solution there, I see no chance for this." Russia was expelled from the G7 in 2014 after Moscow annexed Ukraine's Crimea region. "Russia itself can make the biggest contribution to reopening such doors," Maas said, urging the Kremlin to do more to overcome the conflict. "The G7 and G20 are two sensibly coordinated formats," the minister added. The G20 is the larger gathering of the world's most industrialized countries which still includes Russia.  "We don't need G11 or G12," Maas said. Still, Maas said Russia remains important to the G7. "We also know that we need Russia in order solve conflicts in Syria, Libya, and Ukraine," Maas said.  He called on Russia to do its part in Ukraine, saying that Moscow had been slow to act there.  The foreign minister also criticized Russia for preventing the arrival of humanitarian aid to 1.5 million people in Syria. "Russia is in control of how it is perceived," Maas said.

^ I completely agree with Germany on this one. Russia should not be allowed back into the G8 (or any such group) until it ends its war in eastern Ukraine and returns annexed Crimea back to Ukraine. The G8 became the G7 when Russia was suspended. I know that Trump is saying the United States wants this – we do not – so I can only hope more G7 members (Canada, France, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom) follow Germany’s lead. ^

https://www.dw.com/en/maas-germany-against-us-push-to-let-russia-back-into-g7/a-54325313