Berbock did not support Trump's proposal to bring Russia back into the G7

German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock, during the Munich Security Conference, spoke out against US President Donald Trump 's proposal to return Russia to the Group of Seven (G7) before the end of the Ukrainian conflict.

"As G7 partners, we have repeatedly made it clear over the past three years <...> normal cooperation with Russia is impossible," German news agency DPA quoted her as saying.

However, she did not rule out the restoration of the G8 after the end of the conflict in Ukraine.

"If we all return to the path of peace <...> then, of course, it could mean that we can resume cooperation in a wide variety of areas," the minister specified.

She also emphasized the importance of the first steps to resolve the conflict, made during the telephone conversation between Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

"If a path to peace is found now, the whole world and, above all, Europe will breathe a sigh of relief," she added.

Formal diversity: opposing agendas are expected in the G7 and G20

How Canada's and South Africa's actions during the chairmanship year will affect Russia's position

Trump on Feb. 13 said he wanted to reinstate the G8 with Russia's participation on Feb. 13. According to him, excluding the Russian Federation was a big mistake. He stressed that Russian representatives should sit "at the negotiating table" with the rest of the organization. In response to this statement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is more interested in constructive work in the form of the G20 than in the restoration of the G8. He said that the Russian Federation has repeatedly spoken about the loss of relevance of the G7.