参议院民主党高级官员周二警告唐纳德·特朗普总统，“在任何情况下”都不应该允许俄罗斯政府，包括弗拉基米尔·普京总统，参加明年的七国集团峰会，因为俄罗斯继续军事占领克里米亚，该半岛位于东欧黑海，属于乌克兰。
“在俄罗斯政府采取明显行动显示其愿意在国内外负责任地行事之前，在任何情况下都不应该邀请普京总统参加七国集团，”众议院四名主要民主党人表示在信中写道敬特朗普。
参议院少数党领袖查克·舒默和武装部队、外交关系和情报委员会的最高民主党人——分别是杰克·里德、鲍勃·梅嫩德斯和马克·华纳——写了这封信。
2018年12月11日，DC华盛顿，唐纳德·特朗普总统在椭圆形办公室与参议院少数党领袖查克·舒默讨论边境安全问题。
周一，特朗普在法国举行的七国集团(G7)峰会上再次向记者提出这一想法后，反对重新接纳俄罗斯。俄罗斯因在2014年吞并克里米亚并以武力控制乌克兰领土而被当时的G8赶下台。
此前，外交关系委员会的另外两名参议员——共和党人罗恩·约翰逊(Ron Johnson)和民主党人克里斯·墨菲(Chris Murphy)本周表示，俄罗斯政府拒绝了他们作为国会代表团成员入境的签证，进一步加剧了两国间的紧张关系。
特朗普认为，恢复俄罗斯的成员身份有助于缓和与该国的全球紧张局势，并改善全球的安全和经济状况。但给特朗普写信的民主党四方不同意，称该国缺乏“民主机构”和“重新加入的经济能力”
他们写道:“七国集团因经济地位和对民主价值观、人权和法治的共同承诺而团结一致。”。“重新接纳普京领导的俄罗斯加入七国集团将违背我们的价值观，也违背美国作为世界主要民主国家的责任的明确放弃。"
据报道，民主党人进一步提及俄罗斯过去试图颠覆美国选举的行为参与化学中毒去年在英国，持续占领在格鲁吉亚，支持独裁政权，如叙利亚和委内瑞拉，迫害少数民族和政治反对派是取消资格的因素。
参议员们补充道:“自被八国集团驱逐以来，俄罗斯政府一直表现出对国际准则和法治的持续蔑视。”。
周一，特朗普表示，他不担心俄罗斯官员或普京出席明年峰会的时机想在他的多拉尔高尔夫度假村举办在佛罗里达州迈阿密，会在政治上伤害他。年度活动将在2020年总统选举前几个月举行。由于美国将是东道国，特朗普将被允许邀请世界领导人，如普京，他们不是联盟的正式成员。
“我当然会邀请他。特朗普说:“不管他是否能来——从心理上来说，我认为这对他来说是一件很难的事情。”。“好吃吗？可能不会。也许是。很多人说，让俄罗斯——这是一种力量——把他们留在房间里比让他们呆在房间外要好。”
特朗普进一步指责前总统巴拉克·奥巴马允许普京吞并克里米亚，称该领土“没有从特朗普总统手中夺走；从奥巴马总统手中夺走。”
“如果它在我任期内被吞并，我会说，‘对不起，伙计们，我犯了一个错误。’“或者，‘对不起，伙计们，’”他继续说道它本来可以被右翼阻止的——不管怎样。它本可以被阻止的。但是奥巴马总统无法阻止它，这太糟糕了。"
TOP SENATE DEMOCRATS WARN TRUMP AGAINST INVITING RUSSIA BACK INTO G7: 'UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES'
Top Senate Democrats on Tuesday warned President Donald Trump that "under no circumstances" should the Russian government, including President Vladimir Putin, be allowed to attend next year's G-7 Summit due to its continued military occupation of Crimea, a peninsula in the Black Sea in Eastern Europe that belongs to Ukraine.
"Under no circumstances should President Putin be invited to participate in the G7 until the Russian government undertakes demonstrable actions to show its willingness to behave responsibly both domestically and abroad," four of the chamber's leading Democrats wrote in a letter to Trump.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the top Democrats on the Armed Services, Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committees—Jack Reed, Bob Menendez and Mark Warner, respectively—penned the note.
President Donald Trump argues about border security with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in the Oval Office on December 11, 2018 in Washington, DC.
The opposition to readmitting Russia, a country that was booted from what was then known as the G-8 for annexing Crimea and taking control of the Ukrainian territory by military force in 2014, comes after Trump again floated the idea to reporters on Monday at the G-7 Summit in France.
It also comes after two other senators on the Foreign Relations Committee—Republican Ron Johnson and Democrat Chris Murphy—said this week their visas to enter the country as part of a congressional delegation were denied by the Russian government, further escalating tensions between the two nations.
Trump argued that reinstating Russia as a member could help smooth over global tensions with the country and improve the globe's security and economics. But the Democratic quartet who wrote to Trump disagreed, saying the country lacked the "democratic institutions" and the "economic capacity to rejoin."
"The G7 nations are unified by both economic status and a shared commitment to democratic values, human rights, and the rule of law," they wrote. "Readmitting Putin's Russia to the G7 would be contrary to our values and a clear abdication of the United States' responsibilities as the world's leading democracy."
The Democrats further referenced Russia's past attempts to subvert U.S. elections, their reported involvement in chemical poisonings last year in England, continued occupation of Georgia, support for authoritarian regimes, such as in Syria and Venezuela, and persecution of minority groups and political opponents as disqualifying factors.
"Since its expulsion from the G8, the Russian government has consistently demonstrated a persistent flouting of international norms and the rule of law," the senators added.
On Monday, Trump said he was not concerned that the timing of Russian officials or Putin attending next year's summit, which he wants to host at his Doral golf resort in Miami, Florida, would hurt him politically. The annual event would come just months before the 2020 presidential election. And since the U.S. will be the host country, Trump will be allowed to invite world leaders, such as Putin, who are not officially part of the coalition.
"I would certainly invite him. Whether or not he could come—psychologically, I think that's a tough thing for him to do," Trump said. "Is it good? Probably not. Maybe it is. A lot of people say having Russia—which is a power—having them inside the room is better than having them outside the room."
Trump further accused former President Barack Obama of allowing Putin to annex Crimea, saying the territory was "not taken away from President Trump; taken away from President Obama."
"If it was annexed during my term, I'd say, 'Sorry, folks, I made a mistake.' Or, 'Sorry, folks,'" he continued. "It could have been stopped with the right—whatever. It could have been stopped. But President Obama was unable to stop it, and it's too bad."
