Putin says Russia hasn’t received G7 reinstatement offer from US
“No, the topic simply came up. And I explained to Mr. Witkoff why I stopped attending these G7 events. There were no suggestions, nothing like that happened. We simply touched on the topic,” Putin said in an interview, emphasizing that Russia is not attempting to restore its G7 membership. He added that his decision to stop attending the forum’s meetings was unrelated to the situation in Ukraine, a position he conveyed to the US delegation during the discussions.
Putin pointed out that other international forums, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS, and G20, are gaining prominence, with Russia participating in a “non-confrontational approach.” He also highlighted the country’s ongoing interactions with the European Union as part of its broader international engagement strategy.
“I'll go to this G7 meeting, and how will I talk to the members of this G7 if they don't want to talk to me? So what am I supposed to do there?” Putin added.
The discussions with Witkoff and Kushner reportedly focused on Washington’s revised draft peace plan for Ukraine, with Russian aides describing the talks as “constructive, very useful, and informative.” Russia was suspended from what was then the G8 in 2014 following its annexation of Crimea, which led other member nations to revert the group to the G7.
During the interview, Putin also addressed India’s energy purchases from Russia, questioning US pressure on New Delhi to halt imports of Russian oil.
“The US itself still buys nuclear fuel from us for its own nuclear power plants…If the US has the right to buy fuel from us, why should India be deprived of this right? This is a question that requires careful research, and we are prepared to discuss it with President Trump,” he said.
The remarks come amid tensions between the US and India over a 50% tariff imposed on Indian goods in August, partly tied to India’s continued purchase of Russian oil. Reports indicate that India criticized the measures as “unjustified and unreasonable,” noting that the US continues to import various Russian products, including nuclear fuel, palladium, fertilizers, and chemicals.
Putin highlighted the broader Russia-India partnership, noting comprehensive plans for cooperation in strategic sectors, particularly high-tech industries. “We cooperate with India in these areas, including space exploration, energy—and, as is well known, nuclear energy. The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (in India) is one of the leading major projects (along with) shipbuilding and aviation,” he said.
He emphasized that energy cooperation between the two nations is not influenced by current geopolitical tensions or the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Commercial relationships, particularly in hydrocarbons, have been maintained through “very good, trusting and effectively functioning trade and economic contacts prior to the ongoing conflict.”
While trade turnover between Russia and India saw a slight decline in the first nine months of the year, Putin described it as “just an adjustment,” with overall trade remaining close to pre-war levels. “I can't give you exact monthly figures right now, but trade in petroleum products, oil and the production of petroleum products for consumers of oil, Russian oil, in India is proceeding at a completely normal pace,” he said.
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