Donald Trump claims Russia kicked out of G7 while Trudeau was in office

Stephen Harper actually being Prime Minister at the time.

Harper was one of the toughest and most principled critics of Putin’s initial invasion of Ukraine, a stark contrast from Trump’s refusal to take a strong stand against Russian aggression.

Speaking at the G7 in Kananaskis, Alberta, U.S. President Donald Trump falsely claimed that Russia was kicked out of the G7 while Justin Trudeau was Prime Minister:

“The G7 used to be the G8,” Donald Trump mused after a bilateral meeting with host Prime Minister Mark Carney at the G7 summit in the Canadian Rockies.

Standing next to a mute Carney on Monday, the U.S. president blamed his predecessor, Barack Obama, and previous Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for dropping Russia from the alliance over its 2014 invasion of the Crimean peninsula.

“Barack Obama and a person named Trudeau didn’t want to have Russia in. And I would say that was a mistake because you wouldn’t have a war right now,” he said of Moscow’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Both elements of Trump’s statement are false.

First, Justin Trudeau wasn’t the Prime Minister in 2014, Stephen Harper was.

Second, Russia was kicked out of the G7 because it invaded Crimea and stole it from Ukraine. Thus, it is absurd to claim that there would have been no war if Russia hadn’t been kicked out, since Russia was kicked out because it launched a war.

Harper’s principled stand contrasts with Trump’s refusal to confront Russia

Trump’s false statement is yet another reminder of the way in which the U.S. President represents a disturbing deviation from what used to be considered a core of Western Conservatism: Confronting Russia and other authoritarian states.

Trump repeatedly shows that he identifies with dictators like Vladimir Putin more than he does with leaders of fellow democracies.

It’s worth remembering some of the statements former Prime Minister Stephen Harper made about Russia while he was in office, so we can see what principled strength really looks like:

“I don’t think Russia under Vladimir Putin belongs in the G7. Period.”

“Canada would very, very strongly oppose Putin ever sitting around that table again. It would require consensus to bring Russia back and that consensus will just not happen.”

“Whether it takes five months or 50 years, this country and the Western world — the free world — will never recognize the occupation of Crimea or any other Ukrainian soil by Russia — never.”

“Russia is more often than not trying deliberately to be a strategic rival, to deliberately counter the good things we’re trying to achieve in the world than for no other reason than to just counter them.”

The “mindset of the guy we are dealing with is that the Cold War has never ended and `I’ve got to fight to change the ending somehow.”‘

“I don’t think there is any way under this leader Russia will ever change.”

Harper also told Putin to “get out of Ukraine”:

“Putin received a less-than-warm welcome from Harper last November when he approached Harper for a handshake at the G-20 summit in Australia. Harper told Putin, “I guess I’ll shake your hand, but I have only one thing to say to you: You need to get out of Ukraine.”

Asked what Putin’s response was, Harper said Putin denied that he was in Ukraine.

“This is kind of typical Russian foreign policy to just say black is white even though everyone knows the contrary. I think as long as that’s the view that they are going to take, that they’re just going to treat us like we are all stupid, there really is no point in having a dialogue with them,” Harper said.”

Harper also warned of the threat posed by Russia, a threat that has only grown since then:

“This is a country that has shown a willingness to invade its neighbours, to actually seize territory that does not belong to it, and so I don’t think we should take this escalation of a hostile military posture lightly. It needs to be treated seriously.”

At a time when authoritarian regimes are ramping up their military spending and interference in our way of life, the free world needs principled leadership from people across the political spectrum. Prospective leaders would do well to take their cues from Stephen Harper, rather than Donald Trump.

Spencer Fernando

Image – Twitter

https://spencerfernando.com/2025/06/16/donald-trump-falsely-claims-russia-was-kicked-out-of-the-g7-while-trudeau-was-in-office-despite-stephen-harper-actually-being-prime-minister-at-the-time/