Lavrov: Russia never asked to be allowed back into the G8
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia never asked to be allowed back into the Group of Eight (G8) and considers the Group of Twenty (G20) as the most promising format for the future.
"We never asked to be allowed back," Lavrov said on Russia's Channel One, Interfax reports. He said that when Western partners decided that Russia would be excluded from the summit and that they would return to the G7 format, Moscow accepted "their decision."
"We have been working well in other formats, in the SCO (the Shanghai Cooperation Organization) and BRICS, and especially G20 where they share our approaches," the Minister noted. "Ultimatums are not enough for the G20; you need to make agreements there. The Group of 20 is a mechanism for achieving consensus. And I believe it is the most promising format for the future," Lavrov stated.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump announced his support for Russia's return to the club of the most influential countries in the world, before flying to the G7 summit on Friday.
The European members of the Group of Seven are convinced that it is impossible as long as the Ukrainian question remains unresolved, Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel claimed.