Trump Proposes Reinstating Russia into the G7 and Cutting U.S. Defense Spending by 50%

In a recent Oval Office press conference, President Trump stated his wish to reverse the decision that led to Russia’s expulsion from the group of major industrialized nations, citing the move as a mistake. He argued that the decision to exclude Russia, which occurred after the fall of the Soviet Union during an effort to further integrate it into the global economy, was a misstep attributed to former administrations.

During the question-and-answer session, the President made several provocative claims by attributing blame for Russian aggression in Ukraine to prior U.S. leadership, including both President Barack Obama and President Joe Biden. He contended that support for Ukraine's NATO membership—a policy that had been under consideration since 2008—played a significant role in provoking Russian President Vladimir Putin into launching a large-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Further, Trump expressed his trust in Putin, even suggesting that the Russian leader desires peace, and emphasized his plans to restart denuclearization and arms control discussions with both Russia and China. He laid out an ambitious goal of reaching an agreement among the three nations to slash U.S. military spending by nearly half, claiming that the current expenditure of almost a trillion dollars on defense was unnecessary.

Throughout his remarks, Trump insisted that Russia’s current actions in Ukraine, including the takeover of significant territories, were a result of strategic missteps by previous U.S. administrations. He argued that had he been president, such outcomes would have been avoided, and he remained indifferent to the specifics of any concessions Russia might be required to make in a future negotiated settlement.