The UK and Canada have opposed Russia's return to the G7, deepening a rift over US President Donald Trump's wish for the country to rejoin, BBC News reports.
UK, Canada oppose Russia's return to G7 after Trump summit invite
STEPANAKERT, JUNE 2, ARTSAKHPRESS: Mr Trump said on Saturday he would postpone the G7 summit scheduled to take place this month until September.
The president said the G7's "outdated group of countries" should be expanded to include others, including Russia.
On Sunday, Mr Trump told Russian President Vladimir Putin of his plan to invite him to the summit.
"Russia was excluded from the G7 after it invaded Crimea a number of years ago, and its continued disrespect and flaunting of international rules and norms is why it remains outside of the G7, and it will continue to remain out," Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at a news conference.
Earlier, a spokesman for the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would veto any proposal to allow Russia to rejoin the group.
Unless Russia ceases its "aggressive and destabilising activity", the UK would not support the country's readmission to the group, Mr Johnson's spokesman said.
"Russia was removed from the G7 group of nations following its [2014] annexation of Crimea and we are yet to see evidence of changed behaviour which would justify its readmittance," the spokesman told reporters.
Neither the UK or Canadian position rules out Mr Putin's attendance of the summit in the US.
