“Transfer discussion from the public entertainment sphere”: Foreign Ministry commented on statements about Russia's return to the G8

The dialogue on the return of Russia to the G7 needs to be transferred to the professional sphere. This was stated by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova of the Moscow Talking radio station.

“Proposals should be formed, if any, and submitted to the Russian side for consideration. Now it’s difficult to understand what is at stake. Therefore, it is necessary to transfer the discussion of this topic from public entertainment to the professional sphere if the Seven wants to position itself as a serious format, ”Zakharova said.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump supported the proposal of French leader Emmanuel Macron to invite Russia to the next G7 summit. It is reported by CNN, citing sources in the US Presidential Administration.

According to the channel, Trump and Macron had a telephone conversation, during which they confirmed their desire to see Russia at the next summit of the association, which should be held in the United States in 2020.

“During the telephone conversation it was supposed to discuss the general moments of the upcoming meetings within the framework of the G7 summit in France, which will begin on Saturday. The source said that it was Macron who suggested inviting Russia to the next year’s summit, and that Trump agreed, ”wrote CNN journalist Kylie Atwood on her Twitter.

The call was planned to generally discuss the upcoming G7 mtgs in France which begin on Saturday. It was Macron that suggested inviting Russia to the gathering next year, and Trump agreed, the source said. Note: The US will host the G7 in 2020. https://t.co/rtamIQoYM5

According to Reuters, citing a French diplomatic source, France “took note” of the US desire to return Russia to G7.

Earlier, Trump said that he would support the return of Russia to the association, calling its participation in the format “appropriate”. He justified this by saying that many of the things discussed at the margins of the G7 summits relate directly to Russia.

"Of course, I admit a return to the G8 format, and if such an initiative comes in, I will be inclined to support it," the US president said.

Trump also expressed the opinion that the United States at one time insisted on the removal of Russia from participation in the G7 due to the fact that Vladimir Putin "beat" the previous US President Barack Obama.

“Probably, President Obama, because Putin beat him, decided that he wouldn’t do that and wanted Russia to be expelled, but I think its participation is much more acceptable,” Trump concluded.

In turn, Berlin said it had “taken note” of the latest statements about Russia's possible return to the G8.

“You know about the current situation, both situations (in the Crimea and Donbass . - RT ) remain, so the decision of the G7 partners remains valid. If the elimination of these reasons is possible, it will be possible to talk about changing the format of the meeting, ”RIA Novosti reports the words of the official representative of the Cabinet of Germany, Stefan Seibert.

Emmanuel Macron also spoke about the possibility of restoring the G8 format with the participation of Russia. The French leader, speaking to reporters before a planned meeting with Putin at Fort Bregancon, linked this process to resolving the crisis in Ukraine. Recall that Moscow was expelled from the union after the reunification of Crimea with Russia.

“It is clear that a return to the G8, as well as a return to completely normalized relations (Russia. - RT ) with the European Union, involves a settlement of the Ukrainian issue. This is a prerequisite, ”he said.

In turn, before negotiations with Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is always ready to cooperate with the G7 countries.

“As for the possible format within the framework of eight states, we never refuse anything. It was Russia’s turn to hold the G8 at one time, and our partners did not come. Please, we are waiting for our partners to visit us at any time within the framework of the Seven, ”the Russian president told reporters.

"Personal interests"

Speaking about the restoration of the G8, the leaders of France and the United States are pursuing their own interests, says RT professor at the Department of Comparative Political Science, RUDN University, Yuri Post.

“Trump is facing another election campaign, where some arguments are needed: to prove himself a major international figure, and establishing relations with Russia could probably serve this ... Europeans understand that it is necessary to solve all problems with the participation of Russia,” He adds.

• Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump
• AFP
• © Brendan Smialowski

In turn, Macron intends to prove himself to be the leader of European politics against the background of "natural withdrawal into the shadows" of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said Pavel Salin, director of the Center for Political Studies of the Financial University.

“It is far from a fact that their further behavior, especially the behavior of the French president, will be consistent with intentions. Even if Russia’s participation in the summit next year takes place, it’s not a fact that this improvement in attitude will become sustainable, ”the specialist told RT.

Other sites

At the same time, the revival of the G8 is not an end in itself for Russia, said Leonid Slutsky, head of the State Duma’s committee on international affairs.

“Today, such a format no longer exists. During Russia's withdrawal from this site, other multilateral forms of interaction, such as BRICS and G20, where Moscow plays an important role, have been actively developed, ”RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.

The "Group of Seven" was created by a number of "leading states of the world to protect their interests behind closed doors", and the G20 format is more favorable for Russia, says Yuri Pochta.

“We took part more effectively in the G20, where there really are more countries represented, a greater element of democracy, equality, and there we effectively solve our problems with many states,” the expert noted.

Earlier, Vladimir Putin noted that in addition to the G8, there are other organizations that play an important role in world processes.

“For example, the twenty.” And there today such large economic players are represented as China, India, and many others. 20 countries, you all know them well. This is almost 90% of the global economy. In this regard, of course, such more full-fledged platforms, today they are obviously an objective thing, play a significant, significant role, and we work actively there, ”Putin emphasized.