POTUS, Donald J Trump has suggested the expansion of the “very outdated group” G7. Trump suggests that India, Australia, South Korea and Russia be included in the current G7. Thus, renaming the group to G10 or G11.
Further, the G7 meeting that the USA is hosting has been pushed to September or November. POTUS further revealed that he has “roughly” discussed the inclusion idea with the leaders of the four countries.
India, however, has not officially reacted or responded to Trump’s comments yet.
The G7 is a grouping of a few of the world’s largest economies- the USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan.
In 2019, France invited India to the G7 it hosted in Biarritz and Prime Minister Modi attended the meet. Following the G7 meet, Modi also went on a bilateral trip to Pairs, further strengthening the two countries’ strategic partnership. Trump is postponing the G7 meet since he doesn’t “feel” that as a group, it is accurately representative of world affairs at the moment.
Considering Russia was a part of G8, till it became G7, Trump mentioning the inclusion of Russia, raises a few eyebrows. Sections of the American strategic community, want the USA to develop key tactical ties with the Russian Federation, in a bid to keep China at bay. Trump wants Russia in G7 “because a lot of the things we [G7] talk about, have to do with Russia”.
The POTUS had pressed G7 heads of states at the Biarritz summit dinner to bring Russia back. He was backed by Italy, and Japan remained neutral. Apart from these two nations, no other country commented on the issue.