WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he wanted Russia to rejoin what used to be the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations, calling the US-led decision to expel Russia from the group a decade ago a "mistake."

"I'd love to have them back. I think it was a mistake to throw them out," Trump said in remarks to reporters inside the Oval Office of the White House.

G8, which comprised the Group of Seven (G7) plus Russia, ceased to exist in March 2014 after the US-led effort under then-President Barack Obama to kick Russia out, for the proclaimed reason of Russian annexation of Crimea that year. The mechanism of G7, which is made up of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, continued to operate.

"I think (Russian President Vladimir) Putin would love to be back," Trump said. "Obama and a couple of other people made a mistake, and they got Russia out. It's very possible that if that was the G8, you wouldn't have had the problem with Ukraine."