Paris: G7 seeks to speed up a settlement in Ukraine and avert strikes on Iran
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on IOL
The G7 foreign ministers meet in Paris on Monday and Tuesday, with the war in Ukraine and the threat of new American strikes against Iran as the main topics. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is taking part in both days of the meeting, according to AFP.
The foreign ministers of the seven G7 countries meet in Paris from Monday for two days of discussions, dominated by the war in Ukraine and the threat of new American strikes against Iran, AFP reports. The ministers of the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States meet with concerns close to those of their previous meeting in March.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected on both days, unlike the March meeting where he was present for only one day. His visit, the first abroad since the midterm elections, is seen by the American media as an opportunity to position himself as Donald Trump's successor. The United States will take over the G7 presidency from France in 2027.
The meeting coincides with Russian-Ukrainian talks under American mediation in Abu Dhabi, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. The French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, said on RTL that "the Europeans will be represented and France will be in Abu Dhabi to take part in these discussions". European capitals fear that Kyiv will be forced to accept unfavourable conditions.
Initially planned in Marseille, the ministerial meeting was moved to Paris at the last moment, with only scheduling reasons given. It is one of the last acts of the French presidency of the G7, after the summit of heads of state hosted this summer in Évian by Emmanuel Macron.
This meeting follows Marco Rubio's trip to Paris on 8 and 10 November, and his statements on the progress of post-war security in Ukraine. It also comes after Donald Trump judged new strikes against Iran very unlikely, on 8 November.
