Germany’s Finance Minister, Jörg Kukies, has firmly rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s call to re-admit Russia into the Group of Seven (G7).
In an interview with Reuters, Kukies emphasized that the G7’s stance against Russia’s actions in Ukraine is unambiguous. “The G7 condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression is very clear, especially on the third anniversary of Russia’s brutal attack,” Kukies stated, explaining that Trump’s proposal would fail to gain the necessary consensus.
On Tuesday, Kukies will travel to Cape Town for the G20 Finance Ministers’ meeting, where the global economic situation will take center stage. U.S. Finance Minister Scott Bessent will not attend due to a scheduling conflict.
“We really need to get back on the path of economic growth,” Kukies remarked. He added that Germany still has much work ahead of it.
Appointed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz in November after the collapse of his coalition, Kukies is expected to hold the position until a new government is formed following Sunday’s elections, where Friedrich Merz’s conservatives emerged victorious.
Kukies also noted that the G7 could discuss proposals to use $300 billion in frozen Russian sovereign assets to aid Ukraine’s reconstruction, but he cautioned that “discussions are just beginning, and it’s probably a bit early to talk about it.”
