G7 foreign ministers in Paris to discuss Ukraine peace and Iran
G7 foreign ministers begin two days of talks in Paris, where European countries plan to urge the US to seek a fair settlement in Ukraine and avoid further attacks on Iran. US-mediated talks on ending the war are also due in Abu Dhabi.
Foreign ministers of the G7, the group of leading industrialised nations, began two days of talks in Paris on Monday. The group comprises Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. European countries are expected to press Washington to pursue a fair settlement in Russia's war against Ukraine and to deter it from further military action against Iran. The concerns are much like those at the previous ministerial meeting in March.
The war in Ukraine, which escalated with the full-scale invasion in February 2022, is nearing its fifth anniversary. The US still does not rule out new attacks on Iran, even after President Donald Trump's Republicans lost the midterm elections. Attention will focus on US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who will attend both days, unlike in March. It is his first trip abroad since the midterms, and US media see him as a possible successor to Trump.
Talks in Abu Dhabi
The meeting coincides with US-mediated talks between Moscow and Kyiv in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and Wednesday. Europe is concerned that Ukraine could be forced to accept disadvantageous terms. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told RTL radio that this time Europeans will be represented and France will take part. Trump has predicted a "very big" deal with Russia covering not only the Ukraine war but "all of Europe". His envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner said Washington is working on a broader European security architecture, an idea Europe has previously met with scepticism.
Iran and Chernobyl
Trump has not ruled out new strikes on Iran, including on "Pickaxe Mountain", a suspected nuclear site that Tehran denies is one. Europeans want a resolution and a return to normal shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. On Friday Trump said "we're dealing with them now" and that Iran "wants to make a deal very badly".
On the sidelines, the French finance ministry is hosting a donor conference to raise money to repair the dome protecting the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, damaged in a Russian strike last year. About 500 million euros are needed; just over half has been raised, with the rest targeted by spring 2027.
The meeting was originally planned for Marseille but was moved to Paris at the last minute, with scheduling cited as the reason. Marseille will still host the launch of a network of 14 global ports to combat drug trafficking. Rubio declined to comment directly on the Republican defeat, saying a division of power is not uncommon in the US. Asked about protests in France, he said he was not worried.
