Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrialized nations are set to meet in Paris on Monday and Tuesday for talks on how Europe can be part of US efforts to end Russia’s war on Ukraine and how to urge Washington to not resume military action against Iran.
The meeting will bring together leading diplomats from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.
It coincides with US-mediated talks between Moscow and Kyiv in Abu Dhabi scheduled to begin on Tuesday.
European governments are concerned the the US might be pushing Ukraine to a settlement favoring Russia. US President Donald Trump, in the run-up to the Abu Dhabi talks, said a “very big” deal was in the makingsuggesting Ukraine could emerge from a settlement with altered borders.
“I think we’re gonna have it done, and I think it’s gonna happen and they’re gonna end up with a little bit different shape Ukraine,” Trump told broadcaster CBS. The US president also said the deal would involve all of Europe.
Europe insists it’s at the table
About the talks in Abu Dhabi, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told RTL radio that “Europeans will be represented and France will participate in these talks.”
European leaders have long insisted that any deal to end the war should include the continent’s participation in the talks and that any settlement should not come at the expense of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
When asked about the US plans for a possible agreement to end the war in Ukraine, Barrot said he did not know the details but stressed that no deal affecting the European security architecture could be done without the Europeans.
Particular attention at the upcoming meeting will be on US Secretary of State Marco Rubio who will attend both days unlike the last G7 meeting where he came only for one.
Rubio suggested that recent discussions had made progress on security guarantees for Ukraine and the wider European region. Trump’s envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner has also described US efforts to develop a broader European security framework.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has in the past expressed doubts over proposals for a new European security framework, suggesting that any such debates should follow, rather than precede, efforts to end the war.
US strategy on Iran remains unclear
The G7 ministers are also expected to discuss US tensions with Iran, as Trump has not ruled out additional military strikes against the country.
Washington has previously considered targeting suspected nuclear facilities, including the site known as Pickaxe Mountain, following the US midterm elections last week. Tehran denies that the location is a nuclear facility.
European governments are seeking a diplomatic resolution rather than a resumption of military action. Gobal attention is particularly on the restoration of normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for international energy supplies.
Trump recently said that Iranian officials were keen to reach an agreement, suggesting negotiations remained possible.
The Paris gathering is among the final major diplomatic events of France’s G7 presidency. The United States is scheduled to assume the group’s rotating presidency in 2027.
Source: www.dw.com
