QUEBEC CITY, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Canada opposed U.S. President Donald Trump's suggestion to reinstate Russia in the Group of Seven (G7), four years after it was expelled from the group for the Crimea issue.
"Our position has not changed (on Russia)," said Adam Austen, spokesman for Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland.
Former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Russia should never be allowed back in G7 as long as Russian President Vladimir Putin is in power.
Trump attended the 44th G7 summit which kicked off in Charlevoir, Canada on Friday.
He made the comment at the White House on Friday after hours of further escalating his rhetoric against longtime allies over U.S. trade practices.
"Why are we having a meeting without Russia in the meeting?" Trump asked. "They should let Russia come back in because we should have Russia at the negotiating table."
Trump also lashed out at longtime allies over their criticism of his trade policies. He arrived behind schedule and planned an early leave from the G7 meeting Saturday morning for Singapore for his highly anticipated summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The White House announced an early exit from the summit Thursday night after French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signalled they would use the G7 event to take a stance against new U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
