G7 Foreign Ministers Omit Mention of Two-State Solution to Secure US Agreement on Russia Language

The G7 foreign ministers' communiqué omitted any mention of a "two-state solution" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in order to secure US agreement on language regarding Russia. The communiqué instead called for a "political horizon for the Palestinian people, achieved through a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."

This omission marks a significant shift in language from the G7 nations, as US President Donald Trump pushes ahead with his post-war plan for the Gaza Strip that would see the US take over the territory. It also contrasts with the communiqué released at the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in November, prior to Mr. Trump's inauguration.

Prior to the release of the communiqué, Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly reiterated Canada's support for a two-state solution and suggested that G7 members respected the right to self-determination for both Israelis and Palestinians.

The joint communiqué released by Canada, Italy, France, Britain, Germany, Japan, the European Union and the United States maintained strong language on supporting Ukraine and exerted pressure on Russia to agree to a ceasefire. The G7 foreign ministers "welcomed" US efforts to secure a ceasefire deal in Saudi Arabia this week and "applauded" Ukraine for agreeing to the US proposal.

"We called for Russia to reciprocate by agreeing to a ceasefire on equal terms and implementing it fully," the foreign ministers said in their statement. "We discussed imposing further costs on Russia in case such a ceasefire is not agreed, including through further sanctions, caps on oil prices, as well as additional support for Ukraine, and other means."

The statement from the foreign ministers on Friday also reaffirmed the G7's support for Ukraine's territorial integrity, wording that has been used in the past to reaffirm the country's right to all its territories.