Trump reportedly defended Putin's annexation of Crimea to the G7 leaders — using Putin's same reasoning
President Trump parroted a line used by Russia to defend its annexation of Crimea when speaking with G7 leaders at a dinner in Quebec, Canada, last week, BuzzFeed News reports.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has defended the 2014 invasion and annexation of Crimea from Ukraine by claiming that the people who live in that region are Russian-speakers, and that Moscow has the right to protect its own citizens. Trump allegedly told G7 leaders that Crimea is Russian because the people who live there speak Russian, a diplomat who was present told BuzzFeed News, although "it is unclear whether Trump's comments were throwaway remarks said in jest, or whether he was signaling a radical departure from current U.S. foreign policy."
Trump also told reporters that he believes Russia should be readmitted to the G7 group. Russia was kicked out of what was then the G8 after its 2014 territorial aggression, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel shut down speculation about Moscow rejoining, saying: "Unfortunately we are not there yet."
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