The US President Donald Trump has once again pushed American social boundaries, strongly suggesting inviting Russia to the next G7 summit and proposing to host the meeting in his Miami resort in Doral, as reported by CNN.
The scandal breaks out over Donald Trump's decision to invite G7 leaders to the US president’s resort in Doral. Some journalists believe this is Trump’s way of stirring interest in his own persona in light of the 2020 presidential campaign, appealing to his core voters with a typical provocative behavior. In addition, such a gesture could be a tool to promote his business using the international platform.
Donald Trump, however, might have one more goal in mind. In case the president’s resort serves as a venue for the summit, Trump’s business would receive millions in budget money for the preparations. As the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee Sen. Ron Wyden asserted, the summit in Doral would be "one of the most egregious examples of corruption in a presidency." The US leader, in turn, denied any corruption insinuations, insisting he is financing much of his presidency from own pocket.
As for Vladimir Putin, President Trump spent a plethora of his time in Biarritz pushing for Russia’s return to G8. Russia was suspended from its membership in G8 after the annexation of Ukrainian Crimea in 2014. In response, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson all insisted that the Ukrainian issue should be resolved before any negotiations on Russia’s return could take place. At the same time, the President of the European Council Donald Tusk stated he would prefer to invite Ukraine as a guest to the next G7 meeting rather than Russia.
While the speculations about Russia’s intervention in the US 2016 elections are still heatedly discussed, some critics might find Trump’s “flirtation” with Putin rather odd – especially in light of 2020 presidential race.
The American president’s behavior caused a wave of backlash within both the international community and the US. Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio, for instance, noted that he would prefer Russia suspended from the G7. “I don't like Vladimir Putin,” he said. “We can't ignore Russia or stop dealing with them. But we should do it with clear eyes," Rubio added. Marco Rubio was one of Donald Trump’s rivals in the 2016 Republican primaries.
As "Apostrophe" reported earlier, President Macron made a statement on the importance of dialogue with Russia.