Trump says Russia should be allowed in G-7

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is calling for Russia to be reinstated to the leading group of industrialized nations, now known as the Group of Seven.

Trump tells reporters: “Russia should be in the meeting, should be a part of it.”

Russia was ousted from the elite group in 2014 as punishment for President Vladimir Putin’s annexation of Crimea and its support for pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine. The suspension was supported by the other members of the group, including the U.S., Canada, Japan and four European nations.

Special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating whether Trump associates colluded with Russia in a bid to sway the 2016 presidential election in Trump’s favor.