'Europe not going anywhere': G7 summit a 'signal to Russians' that Europe is standing behind Ukraine

And as those three-way talks get underway in Abu Dhabi, top G7 diplomats are meeting Ukraine's foreign minister here in Paris today. They're discussing defence and security assistance to Ukraine, which Trump's administration has reduced, causing consternation not only in Kyiv, but in capitals across Europe. It's still not clear if the US or any of its G7 partners are going to announce new assistance for Ukraine. And joining me now is James Townsend, Senior Advisor at the Scowcroft Centre for Strategy and Security. Thank you so much for your time. Just how significant are these G7 talks in Paris taking place alongside those three-way discussions in Abu Dhabi? Well, I think the big show, of course, is in Abu Dhabi. Everyone has their eyes on that. But the G7 foreign ministers' talks is important, too, because this is a signal to the Russians that Europe, particularly because most of the G7 is European, that Europe is standing behind Ukraine. Europe is not going to falter in terms of assistance. And so having the G7 allies meet... And lay out the assistance that they're going to continue to provide Ukraine tells the Russians that Europe is not going anywhere. Have the results from the midterms changed anything when it comes to not only these talks in Paris, but those discussions in Abu Dhabi? It's changed quite a bit, I think, certainly in terms of perception, because if you're looking at the G7, the foreign ministers, as they sit around the table, Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, comes in, and he's representing an administration that's been weakened, an administration that's now a lame duck for the next couple of weeks. Democrats will come in. A lot of Democrats will come in the next year, starting in January. And they're going to be having a whole different focus in terms of how to box in the administration's foreign policy in areas they don't like, like Iran, and perhaps assistance to Ukraine. So when Marco Rubio sits down, it's a different story than it was last a couple of months ago when he met with his counterparts. In Abu Dhabi, it's also a different story for the Russians because now they've got a real ticking clock. Putin is going to have two more years of Trump, who has been very pro-Russia, as you know. But the Democrats coming in as well, they're going to come in and they're going to put a lot of pressure on Putin, rather on Trump, to make sure that Trump doesn't stray and become even more pro-Russia, doesn't do things in Europe that, in fact, weaken NATO or weaken U.S. force posture there. So, for both Putin... And also for the war in Ukraine and the foreign ministers, there's a lot of difference in the vibe as these talks get underway. Coming back to those talks here in Paris, I mean, what concrete commitments, if any, can we be looking for from today's meeting? Well, foreign ministers like to have what's called deliverables. At the end of the meeting, they like to announce something, something concrete. And so I think we'll probably hear from some of the individual G7 nations, perhaps assistance programs, bilateral assistance programs, maybe it's weapons, maybe it's funding, but something to show their support and show their belief in Ukraine. So I think we'll see that. I think the G7 statement is going to certainly have something to say about Ukraine, certainly. And that'll be a test as far as what Marco Rubio is going to agree to put his name to. So let's see what they say about Ukraine. And so I think there's going to be signals coming out of the G7 that will be important for everyone to hear and an important test on what Marco Rubio and this administration can agree to. And will whatever comes out of the G7 signal a coordinated European effort which will strengthen, at the end of the day, Kiev's negotiating position? Absolutely. Even though all the European nations are not around that table, it's mainly those that are members of the G7, they will represent, I think, a European position because certainly they're going to negotiate among themselves within the G7, but there will be European voices, probably from the EU, talking to these European ministers about how can we coordinate language. So that it represents a European view and not just a G7 view. So absolutely, I think it will represent a strong European view for Ukraine and whatever else is going to be in that G7 summit statement. James Towson from Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. Thank you so much for being with us. Thank you.