US President Donald Trump says he wants Russia to rejoin the G7 group of key industrialised nations.
Russia was expelled in 2014 following its annexation of Crimea, but Mr Trump said he wanted the country readmitted.
Other G7 nations, though, said they remain opposed and it is only one of the issues that they disagree with Mr Trump on.
In particular, the build-up to the summit saw clashes over Mr Trump's imposition of trade tariffs.
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The G7 summit, which groups Canada, the US, the UK, France, Italy, Japan and Germany, is being held in the town of La Malbaie in Quebec, Canada.
The leaders of the nations, which represent more than 60% of global net worth, meet annually. Economics tops the agenda, although the meetings now always branch off to cover major global issues.
What did Mr Trump say about Russia?
Mr Trump said he regretted the meeting had shrunk in size.
"You know, whether you like it or - and it may not be politically correct - but we have a world to run and in the G7, which used to be the G8, they threw Russia out. They should let Russia come back in," he said.
He found support in the shape of the newly installed Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, who tweeted that it was "in the interests of everyone" for Russia to be readmitted. Image copyright EPA Image caption All smiles but plenty to argue about - leaders of the G7 countries and top EU officials gather in Quebec
Canada, France and the UK though immediately signalled they remain against Russian re-entry. A British government source said Russia would need to "change its course" first.
A Kremlin spokesperson meanwhile said they were interested in "other formats", apart from the G7.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is currently in Beijing, where he was presented with a friendship medal by Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
Fellow members of what was then the G8 suspended Russia after it took control of Crimea. Tensions remain, in part over the poisoning of a former Russian spy in the UK.
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Relations between Donald Trump and America's leading allies were already at a new low over trade tariffs before the president casually dropped his Russia hand-grenade.
Most G7 leaders think the decision to expel Russia in 2014 was right then, and remains right today. Even Russia itself seems lukewarm about rejoining.
In many ways, this seems to be a deliberate Donald Trump tactic, to distract attention from his war of words with the rest of the G7 over trade and protectionism.
President Trump dislikes the whole idea of the G7: a club of nations which traditionally comes together around shared values rooted in a world order based on agreed rules. Last to arrive, he'll also be first to leave.
How do other G7 members see trade?
Mr Trump's imposition of steel and aluminium tariffs has sparked anger with even US allies falling subject to them.
Before the summit French President Emmanuel Macron said "a trade war doesn't spare anyone", while G7 host Justin Trudeau described Mr Trump's citing of national security to defend his steel and aluminium tariffs as "laughable".
Never one to back down, Mr Trump fired off a series of tweets, keeping up the tirade on Friday.
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