VAUX-DE-CERNAY, France: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in France meeting his Group of Seven foreign minister counterparts on Friday, after President Donald Trump attacked NATO countries over a reluctance or refusal to take part in the Iran war, a conflict that some of America’s closest allies have met with deep skepticism.
Rubio will have a hard time trying to sell the other top diplomats from G7 countries on the US strategy for the Iran conflict, to which almost all nations have raised objections. On his arrival at the meeting venue at a historic 12-century abbey in Vaux-de-Cernay outside of Paris, Rubio posed for a group photo with his fellow foreign ministers but none of them spoke.
Trump’s vitriolic comments about NATO during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday will likely make it an even tougher task. Of the G7 nations — besides the US — Britain, Canada, France, Germany and Italy are members of the trans-Atlantic military alliance. Japan is the only one that is not.
Rubio 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.
