G7 Foreign Ministers Meet in Paris on Ukraine as US-Mediated Peace Talks Begin in Abu Dhabi
Foreign ministers of the G7 (Group of Seven) countries held a two-day meeting in Paris on 9 and 10 November 2026. The meeting was first planned for Marseille but was moved to Paris for scheduling reasons.
The meeting is one of the last events of France's G7 presidency for 2026. The United States takes over the presidency in 2027.
On the same days (10 and 11 November), Russia and Ukraine held peace talks in Abu Dhabi (capital of the United Arab Emirates), with the United States acting as the mediator (the go-between who helps both sides talk).
European ministers wanted any peace deal to be fair to Ukraine and said Europe must have a place at the table. France said it would take part in the Abu Dhabi talks.
Ukraine's priorities included lowering the fighting, better protection of its airspace, more pressure on Russia and free movement of ships in the Black Sea. It was not clear whether any new aid for Ukraine would be announced.
On the sidelines, Canada added 38 entities and 24 individuals to its Russia sanctions list. Ministers also discussed tensions with Iran and safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Group of Seven (G7)
The G7 is an informal club of seven rich democracies: the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Canada. The European Union also takes part in its meetings. It has no charter, no permanent office and no binding rules; decisions are political promises, not laws. Its leaders meet at a yearly summit, and its ministers (foreign, finance and others) meet through the year under a presidency that rotates among members every calendar year.
The Paris meeting was a G7 foreign ministers' meeting held under France's 2026 presidency. It shows how the G7 works: no binding votes, but a forum where the seven countries try to agree on a common line, here on how a Ukraine peace deal should look and whether to keep pressure on Russia.
Russia-Ukraine War: Background and Timeline
The Russia-Ukraine War is the conflict that began in 2014, when Russia took control of Crimea and backed armed groups in eastern Ukraine (the Donbas region). It became a full-scale war on 24 February 2022, when Russian forces invaded Ukraine. It is the largest war in Europe since the Second World War. Peace efforts have gone through many rounds, with territory and security guarantees as the hardest issues.
The Abu Dhabi round of 10 and 11 November 2026 is the latest step in the US-led peace effort. The G7 meeting in Paris was timed to match it, so that European countries could press for a settlement that protects Ukraine and keeps Europe involved in decisions about its own security.
- G7 foreign ministers' meeting: Paris, 9 to 10 November 2026 (moved from Marseille)
- G7 members: US, Japan, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Canada; EU also participates
- G7 presidency: France (2026), United States (2027)
- 52nd G7 summit: Évian-les-Bains, France, 15 to 17 June 2026; India attended as a guest
- US-mediated Russia-Ukraine talks: Abu Dhabi, UAE, 10 to 11 November 2026
- Canada's new Russia sanctions: 38 entities and 24 individuals; its list now has more than 3,500 targets
- Full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine: 24 February 2022; Crimea annexed: March 2014
- G8 format suspended: March 2014