Trump and Macron agree to return Russia to G8 next year - media

Presidents of the USA and France have agreed in a telephone conversation on Tuesday that they want to invite Russia to participate in the G7 summit in 2020. This is reported by CNN with reference to a highly-placed source in the presidential administration, - European Pravda writes.

The US president stated on Tuesday that he would support Russia's return to the group of countries with the most developed economies, if such a proposal were made.

The highly-placed source stated to CNN later on Tuesday that Trump and Macron agreed on a telephone call on Tuesday that they want to invite Russia to the G7 summit next year. The leaders are expected to discuss the possibility of restoring the G8 format this weekend at the G7 meeting.

The telephone conversation was planned for a general discussion of the G7 meeting in France, which begins on Saturday. According to the source, it was Macron who proposed to invite Russia to the meeting next year, and Trump agreed. The USA will host the G7 Summit in 2020.

Russia was kicked out of a group of states due to the annexation of Ukrainian Crimea in 2014.

It is not yet clear how the decision-making process on the return of the Russian Federation will end and whether it can really be at the negotiating table next year.

According to the source, some representatives of the White House believe that it is Macron's trick to make Trump publicly state his position and give impetus to the return of Russia. According to the source, France wants to normalize relations with Russia.

During a meeting between Macron and Putin on Monday, the French president said that a return to the G8 format and "resuscitation" of relations between Russia and the EU depend on progress in resolving the "Ukrainian crisis".