What is Trump's perspective on Russia's exclusion from the G8 and how does he believe it relates to the Ukraine conflict?

Trump argues that Russia's exclusion from the G8 (making it the G7) was a strategic mistake made by Obama and others. He believes that keeping Russia at the negotiating table could have prevented the Ukraine conflict entirely, suggesting that diplomatic engagement rather than isolation might have been more effective. Trump also emphasizes his past discussions with Putin about denuclearization, viewing collaborative approaches to reducing nuclear weapons as preferable to continued arms buildup. He maintains that under his presidency, Russia would never have attacked Ukraine, positioning himself as someone who could have managed U.S.-Russia relations more effectively through direct engagement rather than exclusionary policies.