US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in France meeting foreign ministers of Group of Seven countries on Friday, hours after President Donald Trump slammed NATO countries over alleged reluctance or refusal to take part in the Iran conflict, which has been met with deep scepticism by some of US’ closest allies.
Rubio may have to hard-sell the US strategy for the Iran conflict to the top diplomats from G7 countries. Trump’s vitriolic comments about NATO during a cabinet meeting Thursday will likely make it an even tougher task. Besides the US, Britain, Canada, France, Germany and Italy are G7 nations also part of the trans-Atlantic military alliance. Japan is the only one that is not.
On his arrival at the meeting venue at a historic 12-century abbey in Vaux-de-Cerney outside Paris, Rubio posed for a group photo with his fellow foreign ministers. He left Washington for the G7 meeting just hours after Trump complained bitterly about NATO countries not stepping up to help the US and Israel in the Iran war. “We are very disappointed with NATO because NATO has done absolutely nothing,” Trump said.
Rubio has work to do to smooth things with allies like those in Europe, who have faced criticism or outright threats from Trump and others in his administration. Europe is still smarting over Trump's earlier demands to take over Greenland from NATO-ally Denmark and are concerned over US support to Ukraine in its war with Russia. The conflict in the Middle East has added another point of tension.
“Frankly, I think countries around the world, even those that are out there complaining about this a little bit, should actually be grateful that the US has a president that's willing to confront a threat like this,” Rubio said at the Cabinet meeting.
Asked by reporters about the reception he was expecting before boarding his flight to France, Rubio said he was looking forward to gathering with his G7 counterparts, asserting “we’re going to have great meetings”.
France sceptical of war
France, the host of the G7 meeting, has been highly sceptical of the war. The chief of France’s defence staff, Gen Fabien Mandon, said this week that US’ allies had not been informed about the start of hostilities.
“They have just decided to intervene in the Near and Middle East without notifying us,” Mandon said. “We acted immediately, surprised by an American ally, who remains an ally, but who is less and less predictable and doesn't even bother to inform us when it decides to engage in military operations. This affects our security. This affects our interests.” However, 35 countries joined military talks hosted by Mandon on how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz “once the intensity of hostilities has sufficiently decreased”, France's Defence Ministry said in a statement.
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