National Security Adviser to former President Obama, Susan Rice, repudiated President Trump Sunday after Trump called on Russia to be readmitted to G7.
Russia was expelled from the group then known as G8 (Group of Eight) in 2014, after the majority of member countries allied against its annexation of Crimea — the first violation of a European country’s borders since World War II.
Trump first expressed support for Russia’s readmission into the G-7 on the White House lawn Friday before departing for the G7 summit in Canada.
“Whether you like it or not, and it may not be politically correct, but we have a world to run,” he said. “And in the G-7, which used be the G-8, they threw Russia out. They should let Russia come back in because we should have Russia at the negotiating table.”
The president doubled down on Saturday upon his departure from the summit for Singapore, blasting the Obama administration for allowing Russia to annex Crimea.
Obama, “was the one that let Crimea get away. He allowed Russia to take Crimea. I may have had a much different attitude,” Trump said. “I think it would be an asset to have Russia back in. I think it would be good for the world. I think it would be good for Russia. I think it would be good for the United States. I think it would be good for all of the countries of the current G7. I think the G8 would be better.”
Trump’s insistence that Russia should be allowed back into the international partnership is “disgraceful,” Rice lamented Sunday on CBS’ Face the Nation..
“Rather than understand Russia is our adversary, Russia had taken on behavior that is absolutely reprehensible. For the president of the United States to suggest all is forgotten, that that doesn’t matter, that we are fine with one country annexing another country’s sovereign territory and we should just welcome them with open arms into a community of democracies is outrageous,” she said.”It’s a disgraceful statement. The fact of the matter is Russia had invaded Georgia. It then had invaded Ukraine. We rallied the entire European Union and many other partners to impose tough sanctions on Russia for its annexation. We supported the Ukrainian government to build up its defensive military capacity, and along with our G7 partners, we agreed that Russia should no longer be part of this community of the G8.”
“That’s outrageous,” she continued. “The United States has long upheld international law. It was the most brazen violation of another country’s sovereignty that’s occurred in recent years. For the president of the United States to blame his predecessor rather than to understand that Russia is our adversary — Russia has taken on behavior that is absolutely reprehensible, including being responsible for shooting civilian aircraft out of the sky and killing hundreds of people.
