Washington, 7 May 2025 (dpa/MIA) - US President Donald Trump on Tuesday spoke out against Russia rejoining the Group of Seven (G7) economically developed Western democracies at this time, reversing his stance.

Speaking at a White House event, Trump said the window of opportunity for reintegrating Russia into the group had passed. It is "not good timing," the president said.

The comments mark a shift from February, when Trump called the decision to eject Russia from the G7 a "mistake" and voiced support for Moscow's return to the group.

At the time, Trump said it was quite possible that the Russian war against Ukraine would not have happened if the G8 had still existed. Trump did not mention that Russia was suspended from the group in 2014 following its annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.

The G7 format of talks between the seven major industrialized nations has existed since 1975.

Russia became a full member of the group in 2002, and the format was called the G8 for 12 years.

In 2014, however, Russia was excluded shortly before a summit meeting planned in Sochi, Russia, after Moscow annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea. Since then, the format has continued to exist as the G7.

The G7 comprises Canada, the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Japan.

MIA file photo