The Kremlin said on Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump was right to assert that it had been a big mistake to expel Russia from the Group of Eight in 2014, but that the G7 was no longer significant for Russia and looked "rather useless" now.

The Kremlin responded on Tuesday. “We agree with President Trump: it was a big mistake then to exclude Russia from the G8 format,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

Six of the Group of Seven leaders will try to show the club still has clout despite the early departure of President Donald Trump.