G7 foreign ministers meet in Paris under shadow of Republican midterm defeat

A first test after the midterms

Foreign ministers of the Group of Seven meet in Paris on 9 November 2026, the first forum where Washington's partners can judge whether the Republicans' heavy defeat in the midterm elections will change US foreign policy. Four diplomats from G7 countries said the Democrats' gains may narrow the room for manoeuvre at the White House. The gathering was moved from Marseille to Paris for security reasons, after several weeks of demonstrations in France. Ministers from Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, South Korea and Brazil are also due to take part. The questions on the table cover trade as well as geopolitical crises.

Rubio under scrutiny

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is considered a possible Republican candidate for the 2028 presidential nomination, is meeting his G7 counterparts for the first time since the midterm elections. Allies want to know whether Donald Trump intends to revise his approach to Ukraine, the Middle East and traditional US alliances, and Rubio is expected to explain the administration's intentions. He tried to play down the political weight of the defeat, presenting the switch of control in Congress as a routine feature of American political life. He insisted the government will continue its agenda. Several European counterparts see Rubio as more moderate than other figures in the Trump administration, such as JD Vance, but diplomats say that is not enough to restore their trust.

Ukraine at the top of the agenda

Ukraine sits at the top of the agenda. The ministerial meeting comes before a trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi between Ukraine, Russia and the United States. Officials from France, Britain, Germany, NATO and the European Commission are travelling to the Emirati capital, although they are not expected to take part in those talks. Diplomats described the situation in Ukraine in bleak terms. Iran and the Middle East are also among the main focal points of the discussions.

Divisions among Europeans

Disagreements among Europeans are also expected to surface. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni warned on 5 November that Europe risks becoming irrelevant to efforts to end the war in Ukraine if member states keep pursuing separate diplomatic routes instead of agreeing a common envoy and a shared strategy. That issue is likely to come up at the G7 meeting. The G7 brings together the United States, France, Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy and Japan, along with the European Union.

Doubts about Washington's direction

Diplomats from the other G7 countries are cautious about what to expect from the Trump administration. They accept that Democratic electoral gains could make governing harder, but they warn that a return to traditional American multilateral diplomacy should not be expected while foreign policy stays under Trump's direct control. The first test of the new political balance in Washington therefore takes place in Paris. Whether Rubio can give partners a credible picture of Trump's intentions across trade and geopolitical crises remains the open question.