U.S. President Donald Trump Tuesday signaled support for inviting Russia back into the Group of 7 (G7), restoring the bloc as the Group of 8 (G8).

Speaking with the press at the White House, Trump said it is "much more appropriate to have Russia in" the G7, adding that "it should be the G8, because a lot of the things we talk about have to do with Russia."

"If somebody would make that motion, I would certainly be disposed to think about it very favorably," he said.

Trump's remarks came days before he is set to travel to France for this year's G7 summit.

Leaders of the G7 canceled a planned G8 meeting in 2014 over the tension in Ukraine, kicking Moscow out of the bloc.