When he announced on June 8 that he supports inviting Russia to rejoin the Group of Seven, from which Russia was expelled in 2014 for its annexation of Crimea, President Trump became the latest in a long line of populist world leaders who seemingly want to overlook Russia’s aggressive actions.
“Whether you like it or not … we have a world to run and … we should have Russia at the negotiating table,” the U.S. president said. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte supported President Trump, stating on Twitter that it would be “in the interests of everyone.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Austria on June 5, where he asked for European Union sanctions on Russia to be lifted. “These actions are harmful for everyone, both for those who initiate them and for those against whom they are directed,” said the leader of the Russian Federation. “I therefore think everyone has an interest in canceling them."
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WNU Editor: Support for sanctions in Europe is still there .... but the desire to maintain it (let alone enforcing it) is no longer there. And while I personally believe that as long as the Ukraine conflict remains unresolved Russian sanctions will remain .... there will be no additional sanctions from the EU. The U.S. is (of course) another story .... U.S. Imposes New Russia Sanctions Over Cyberattacks (June 10, 2018)
