Putin says that Russia is not interested in returning to the G7, while threatening Ukraine with the expansion of the offensive.

In an interview with India Today, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the share of the G7 in the global economy has steadily decreased in recent years. The G7, consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, excluded Russia from the group in 2014, following the illegal annexation of Crimea. Although Russia was initially admitted to the G8 in 1998 due to its political influence, the current discussion about a possible return to the G7 has been criticized by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Putin mentioned that no negotiations on this matter were held with the U.S. special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who recently visited Moscow. Additionally, Putin threatened Ukraine, stating that in the absence of a withdrawal of Ukrainian forces, Russian troops will conquer the entire Donbas region and Novorossia, including the areas of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Odesa.