G7 foreign ministers meet in Paris ahead of US-mediated Russia-Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi.
Published on November 10, 2026
European foreign ministers have told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Europe must have a say in any deal to end Russia’s war against Ukraine, as US-mediated peace talks kick off in Abu Dhabi.
They made the call Monday in Paris, during a meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of Seven, which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
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It was Rubio’s first meeting with his allies since last week’s midterm elections, in which President Donald Trump’s Republican Party suffered staggering losses. The meeting gave Washington’s allies a chance to express their concerns directly to Rubio, amid concern over Trump’s growing rhetoric on a new security architecture for Europe.
“It is certainly neither necessary, nor right, nor appropriate to make a fundamental change” to the European security architecture, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said after his meeting with Rubio.
“Europe has its place at this table. There can be no solution without Europe – only with Europe,” he added.
The two-day meeting in Paris, which ends Tuesday, overlaps with talks between Russia and Ukraine, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Wadephul said the Abu Dhabi talks must show whether Russia is “genuinely ready to negotiate”, urging Moscow to “renounce maximalist demands” and warning against any “display of negotiation” in the UAE capital.
As Russian attacks on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure continue, he said, “we see no substantial contribution to accelerating negotiations” from Moscow.
Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s foreign minister, is scheduled to attend a session on Ukraine in Paris on Tuesday.
“No one has the right to decide our fate behind our backs,” Sybiha said before leaving for the meeting.
The Paris meeting comes as G7 members are increasingly concerned about the direction of U.S. policy, including Washington’s reduction in support for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, as well as its increasingly unilateral direction.
Ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, South Korea and Brazil are also present.
Iran is expected to feature prominently in Tuesday’s discussions.
Washington’s G7 allies have repeatedly expressed skepticism about the US and Israeli war on Iran and fear that further US military action could worsen the crisis rather than resolve it.
Al Jazeera’s Rebecca Collard, reporting from Paris, said the first day of talks ended with little clarity on U.S. policy after the midterm elections.
“The second day of negotiations will include a session on instability in the Middle East,” she said.
“But there is also something more important to discuss: the future of multilateralism that has dominated relations between these countries for decades.”
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