German Finance Minister, Joerg Kukies, has dismissed the possibility of Russia rejoining the Group of Seven (G7) nations, despite United States President, Donald Trump’s request for its reinstatement.
“The condemnation of the G7 of Russia’s war of aggression is very clear, especially on the third anniversary of Russia’s brutal attack,” Kukies told Reuters, stressing that Trump’s proposal would fail to secure the required unanimous approval.
Kukies is set to travel to Cape Town on Tuesday for a meeting of G20 finance ministers. Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, will not attend due to a scheduling conflict.
The discussions will focus on the state of the global economy, with Kukies emphasising the need for renewed economic growth. “We really need to re-embark on a path of economic growth,” he said, acknowledging that Germany “has a lot of homework to do.”
Kukies, who was appointed finance minister by Chancellor Olaf Scholz in November following the collapse of Scholz’s governing coalition, will serve until a new government is formed.
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Addressing trade tensions between the U.S. and the European Union, Kukies remained optimistic that a conflict could be avoided. “No one has an interest in starting a trade war,” he said.
However, concerns persist over Trump’s reciprocal tariff plan, which could see U.S. import tariffs raised to match those imposed by other countries. While the EU runs a goods trade surplus with the U.S., Kukies noted that this was “almost offset by a U.S. surplus in services exported to Europe.”
Meanwhile, G7 leaders may revisit a long-standing proposal to utilise $300 billion in frozen Russian sovereign assets for Ukraine’s reconstruction. However, Kukies cautioned that discussions remain in their early stages. “It’s probably a bit early to say,” he noted.
Sources have suggested that Moscow might agree to allocate these funds for reconstruction in a future peace deal—provided that part of the money is directed toward regions of Ukraine currently under Russian control.
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