Ex-Russian President Claims Donald Trump Scolded Europeans For Kicking Out Russia At G7

Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, lauded United States President Donald Trump for standing up for Russia at the G7 Summit in Canada. Medvedev commended Trump for regretting Russia’s exclusion from the group and refusing to support tougher sanctions against Moscow amid its ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

Taking to social media platform X, Medvedev wrote, "At the G7, Trump put the European lapdogs, led by Micron, in their place. Well done! He scolded them for kicking out Russia, refused to discuss sanctions, and left. It’s long been clear it’s a dead club. I remember when we were at the same table — they were all zombies, even then."

Medvedev served as President of Russia from 2008 to 2012 and as Prime Minister from 2012 to 2020.

The Russian politician also took a swipe at French President Emmanuel Macron, whom Trump criticized publicly after Macron suggested that Trump had cut short his G7 trip to negotiate a possible peace deal between Israel and Iran.

Why Was Russia Excluded from the G7?

Russia’s membership in the G7 was suspended in March 2014 following its annexation of Crimea.

What Did Trump Say About Russia’s Exclusion from the G7?

Donald Trump called Russia’s removal from the G7 a “serious mistake” and blamed former U.S. President Barack Obama and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for it.

“The G7 used to be the G8. About nine years ago, Russia was excluded, something I believe was a serious mistake. Back then, leaders like Barack Obama and Justin Trudeau didn’t want Russia involved, but had Russia remained at the table, perhaps we wouldn’t be facing a war today,” Trump said at the G7 meeting.

Trump even spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday and suggested that Putin could serve as a mediator between Israel and Iran to help ease tensions.

French President Emmanuel Macron rejected Trump’s suggestion, arguing that Moscow could not act as a mediator since it had itself launched an illegal war against Ukraine.

"The G7 should have the objective for us to converge again, for Ukraine to get a ceasefire to lead to a robust and lasting peace, and in my view it's a question of seeing whether President Trump is ready to put forward much tougher sanctions on Russia," Macron said.

Trump Says No to Tougher Sanctions on Russia

Despite mounting pressure from the EU and the U.K. for more coordinated sanctions against Russia, President Trump refused to impose additional measures on Moscow. He argued that sanctions are costly for the U.S. and said European nations should act first.

“Don’t forget, you know, sanctions cost us a lot of money. When I sanction a country that costs the US a lot of money, a tremendous amount of money,” Trump said at the G7 meeting. “It’s not just, let’s sign a document you’re talking about billions and billions of dollars. Sanctions are not that easy. It’s not just a one way street,” he added.

European leaders, on the other hand, have maintained that stronger sanctions are necessary to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into agreeing to a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Trump-Macron Tiff

Donald Trump criticized Macron for suggesting that the U.S. president had left the G7 early to negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Publicity-seeking President Emmanuel Macron, of France, mistakenly said that I left the G7 Summit in Canada to go back to D.C. to work on a ‘ceasefire’ between Israel and Iran. Wrong! He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a ceasefire. Much bigger than that. Whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong. Stay tuned!”

Earlier, the White House had announced that Trump would leave the summit one day early to address the escalating crisis in the Middle East. Macron had commented on Trump’s early departure, calling it a “positive move” given the urgency of calming tensions between Israel and Iran.

Also Read: War, Terrorism, Defence Cooperation, Trade & Investment: Key Takeaways From PM Modi-Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides Bilateral Talks