In 2014 Russia was kicked out of the G8 for its invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent occupation of Crimea. The illegal annexation of Crimea was the first time since World War II that borders in Europe had been changed by the use of military force. For the other members of the G8, it was simply too much to allow Russia sitting at the same table of an organization that’s meant to be of like-minded democracies. The G8 became the G7.
OP-ED
Luke Coffey: Why Russia shouldn’t be allowed back into the G7
The G7 logo is displayed prior to a meeting of G7 Digital Ministers on May 15, 2019, at the Economy Ministry in Paris.