On December 4, Russian President Putin stated in an interview with Today's India TV that Russia has no intention of returning to the Group of Eight (G8).
When asked about the possibility of returning to the G8, Putin gave a negative answer and pointed out that he had already stopped attending the group's summits even before the Ukraine incident in 2014.
Putin also clearly stated that during his meeting with U.S. President's special envoy Wittkow and Trump's son-in-law Kushner at the Kremlin, the issue of returning to the G8 was not discussed.
Previously, Putin had also stated that it is difficult to imagine how Russia would participate in "Group of Eight" meetings if it were to return under the current circumstances.
Putin's clear refusal to return to the G8 is not an isolated statement but a diplomatic gesture made by Russia based on real interests and strategic judgment in the current international landscape.
Putin's statement during the interview with Today's India on December 4 was very clear and resolute:
When asked whether Russia wanted to return to the G8, Putin's answer was a firm "no" or "not wanting to."
Putin said he had stopped attending G8 summits from "a certain point in time," and emphasized that this was unrelated to the situation in Ukraine, but rather related to other undisclosed events.
He questioned the reasonableness of the G7 calling itself "Great" (Great), pointing out that according to purchasing power parity, the economic weight of some G7 member countries is far lower than that of countries like India. At the same time, he also acknowledged that the G7 remains an important international platform.
Putin's statement represents a proactive diplomatic "cut" and posture adjustment by Russia in the face of Western sanctions and international isolation. It sends a message to the world that Russia no longer considers returning to the Western circle as its priority in foreign policy, but instead focuses on developing relations with the non-Western world and challenging the old international order narrative dominated by the West.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1850607998198812/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.