Do Not Revive the G-8 or Invite Putin to DC

With the world’s attention focused on the meeting between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, it’s important not to overlook a very disturbing development that occurred involving the disastrous G-7 meeting over the weekend.

On Friday, the same morning that President Donald Trump called for Russia to return to the G-8, media reports indicated that Russian airstrikes were responsible for killing dozens of people in a rebel-held village in Syria the day before. Almost nothing, it seems, that Russian leader Vladimir Putin does—killing civilians in Syria, poisoning Russians living overseas (the Sergei and Yulia Skripal cases in the United Kingdom being the most recent), killing Ukrainians inside that country, interfering in other countries’ elections—will deter Trump from treating Putin better than he treats America’s traditional allies (just ask Justin Trudeau).

“Russia should be in this meeting,” Mr. Trump said. “Why are we having a meeting without Russia being in the meeting? And I would recommend—and it’s up to them, but Russia should be in the meeting, it should be a part of it. You know, whether you like it or not, and it may not be politically correct, but we have a world to run and the G-7—which used to be the G-8, they threw Russia out. They should let Russia come back in because we should have Russia at the negotiating table.”

Trump’s recommendation, seemingly made on the fly in the driveway of the White House but then reiterated at the G-7 meeting on Saturday, was largely rejected by his fellow G-7 leaders. But Italy’s new Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, said he agreed with Trump, revealing divisions within the grouping. Putin must be happy to see the leader of the free world sowing dissension in the democratic ranks.

Defenders of Trump, and even critics like this author, have argued that his Administration’s policy has actually been quite good in addressing the threat from Putin. After an initial scare in January 2017 that sanctions against the regime in Moscow were about to be lifted by the White House, they have stayed in place and even been scaled up, thanks largely to pressure from Congress. The Administration approved the sale and transfer of lethal military assistance to Ukraine and Georgia to help those countries defend themselves against further Russian aggression, something the Obama Administration refused to do.

The United States, along with NATO allies, has beefed up its military presence in the three Baltic states and Poland. And remarks by Administration officials, from UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, Secretaries of State and Defense Mike Pompeo and Jim Mattis, and Vice President Pence, have been sharply and rightly critical of Putin’s behavior. It was as if the tough policy were being carried out without Trump’s awareness.

But then there’s Trump himself. From the presidential campaign to the present, Trump has consistently refused to criticize Putin’s actions or even to acknowledge that Russia interfered in the 2016 election. His unstinting determination to seek good relations between Moscow and Washington has always meant that the Administration’s tough line could be undone by one tweet, unscripted comment, or open invitation to Putin.

When, contrary to his staff’s recommendation, Trump congratulated Putin on his “re-election” in March, he also invited Putin to the White House, according to press reports. Such a Putin visit to Washington would undermine the West’s united stand against Putin’s egregious behavior. It would also renew questions about what motivates Trump’s soft position toward Putin.

Ever since being kicked out of the G-8 in 2014 for his illegal annexation of Crimea and ongoing aggression in Ukraine, Putin has failed to abide by the ceasefire agreements meant to resolve that crisis. He has launched massive interference in the U.S. and other elections, overseen Russian trolls weigh in on divisive issues in the West through social media, and launched the worst crackdown on human rights inside Russia since the break-up of the Soviet Union. Putin has done nothing—repeat nothing—to warrant a softer approach from the West and remains a serious threat to our countries.

In an interview published Saturday on Russian state television, Putin indicated a readiness to meet with his American counterpart. “Trump keeps the promises that he made in his campaign,” Putin said. “One of those promises was to improve Russian-American relations. I hope that this also takes place. At any rate, we are ready for this. I believe that the ball is in America’s court.”

Trump’s call for a return to the G-8 elicited strong negative reaction from several leading Republicans in Congress, as it should have. Should Trump follow through on an invitation to Putin to the White House, all of his advisers—to include National Security Advisor John Bolton, Secretaries Pompeo and Mattis, on down—who think this would be a grave mistake and an abandonment of U.S. principles should resign.

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