G-7 meet underlines fracture in West, need for India to step up

When the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven met at a mediaeval monastery outside Paris last week, their agenda was inevitably dominated by the US-Israeli war against Iran and its cascading global economic consequences. The ministers called for an immediate halt to attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, emphasised the protection of diplomatic missions and foreign nationals, and warned that continued escalation could destabilise the wider Middle East. They called for coordinated humanitarian assistance for affected populations and underlined the need for a return to diplomatic channels. The G7 ministers also warned that disruption to shipping through the waterways posed a serious threat to the global economy, given the large share of the world’s oil and gas that transits it, and indicated readiness to coordinate maritime security efforts to ensure freedom of navigation.

The barebones statement did little to conceal, however, the deepening divisions between Washington and its NATO partners. Trump has been relentless in publicly castigating European allies for their reluctance to back the US against Iran. The Europeans, for their part, feel angry at being excluded from decisions over a war at their doorstep; some have declared it illegal and want no part in it. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reminded European partners that Washington has borne the major share of Ukraine’s defence over four years — a war, he pointedly noted, not of America’s making. He also sought to reassure them that the war against Iran would be over within weeks and that the US would prevail. For five decades, the G7 has been the sheet anchor of Western leadership of the international order. It has weathered political storms before. This time, though, the differences look deep and structural rather than superficial and tactical.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the Paris meeting as a special invitee, alongside counterparts from Brazil, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Ukraine. He used the occasion to engage collectively and bilaterally with G7 ministers and to underscore the importance of coordinated action in ending the war. Jaishankar and his French counterpart agreed to maintain close coordination on securing the Strait of Hormuz. The two ministers also confirmed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in the G7 Summit in June, underlining India’s contribution to the group’s work on macroeconomic imbalances and international partnerships. India’s presence at the Paris meeting was a demonstration of the country’s growing global salience — and a reminder of the greater responsibilities that come with it. As the fracture within the West deepens, India’s contribution to stabilising the Gulf situation becomes not merely needed but also urgent.