Germany called for European governments to help shape any Ukraine settlement as U.S.-mediated negotiations involving Russia and Ukraine were due to open in Abu Dhabi Tuesday, Al Jazeera reported.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul made the appeal Monday in Paris after meeting U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a gathering of Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers. Al Jazeera’s report was credited to AFP and Reuters. It said the Paris meeting would end Tuesday, overlapping with Abu Dhabi discussions scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. Wadephul said, “There can be no solution without Europe.”
Its membership spans Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, alongside the United Kingdom and the United States. Al Jazeera reported that Rubio was meeting with allied foreign ministers for the first time since U.S. midterm elections left President Donald Trump’s Republican Party with major losses.
The conversations reflect broader unease among G7 members about U.S. policy. Al Jazeera said allies were concerned about reductions in Washington’s support for Ukraine and a rollback in economic restrictions on Russia, as well as a more unilateral U.S. approach. They were also uneasy about Trump’s comments on a new security arrangement for Europe.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha was expected in Paris Tuesday for a Ukraine-focused session, Al Jazeera reported. Before traveling, Sybiha said, “No one has the right to decide our fate behind our backs.”
Wadephul said the Abu Dhabi meeting would help determine whether Moscow intended to take part in serious negotiations. He called on Russia to moderate its demands and said Moscow had done little to advance diplomacy while attacks on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure continued.
Al Jazeera also reported that Saudi Arabia, Egypt, South Korea and Brazil had sent ministers to the G7 meeting. Iran was expected to feature prominently in Tuesday’s discussions on Middle East instability. G7 allies have questioned U.S. and Israeli military action against Iran and fear further U.S. strikes could worsen the crisis, according to Al Jazeera.
