Russia will not be re-admitted to the G7 (the group of the seven most industrialized countries in the world) as requested by U.S. President Donald Trump, said Germany’s Finance Minister Joerg Kukies.
“The G7 clearly condemns Russia’s aggression, especially on the third anniversary of Russia’s brutal attack,” Kukies said in an interview with Reuters, adding that Trump’s proposal would not gain the necessary unanimous support.
Kukies will travel to Cape Town on Tuesday for the G20 finance ministers’ summit, where U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will be absent due to other commitments.
The current state of the global economy will be a key topic of the meetings.
“We really need to get back on the path of economic development,” Kukies stated.
Germany “has a lot of homework to do,” he added.
Kukies was appointed as Finance Minister by outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz in November after Scholz’s governing coalition was ousted through a vote of no confidence. He is expected to serve in this role until a new government is formed after Sunday’s elections, which were won by the conservatives led by Friedrich Merz.
A trade war between the U.S. and Europe can be avoided, as both sides are willing to negotiate, Kukies said. “No one wants to start a trade war,” he added.
