US President Donald Trump said Kiev will be "part of" negotiations to end Russia's brutal war in Ukraine, AFP reported. 

Trump spoke a day after announcing plans to begin peace talks, following separate phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.

The Republican said he was convinced the Russian leader "wants peace," adding, "I think he would tell me if he didn't."

Trump added that he would "gladly" accept Russia back into the G7 after the country was excluded from the group of the seven largest economies in 2014 following Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula.

"I think it was a mistake to kick him out," the Republican said, referring to his Russian counterpart Putin.

The U.S. head of state also said he wanted to hold talks with Russia and China to mutually reduce military spending. | BGNES