They are four, responsible for the diplomacy of the largest economies on the planet. And for six months, they have stood together to stand up to Vladimir Putin. This quartet of female foreign ministers have banded together not only to crack down on the Russian regime and make sure the international community remembers to protect women in the conflict in Ukraine, but also to support the leaders of other countries grappling with the consequences of this war. A feminine offensive on all fronts. “We have to support each other, among female colleagues,” said Canada’s chief diplomat, Mélanie Joly, in an interview.
For the first time, the majority of G7 foreign ministers are women. Three of them are in their forties. Mélanie Joly is 43 years old, the Briton Elizabeth Truss, 47, and the German Annalena Baerbock, the youngest of the group, 41 years old. Catherine Colonna, appointed to the Foreign Affairs of France last May, is 66 years old.
Manhandled counterparts
The contrast is striking, facing a 69-year-old Vladimir Putin who has been shaping the image of a macho leader for more than 20 years, with shots of him shirtless on a horse or wielding a rifle. Twenty-nine of the 32 members of his cabinet are men.
His Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov – 72 years old, in office since 2004 – did not hesitate to publicly mistreat his new counterparts. He trapped Elizabeth Truss when they first met last winter discussing the territorial boundaries of Russia and Ukraine. The exchange, private, was immediately transmitted to the Russian media in order to embarrass the new minister. This summer, Mr. Lavrov chose to leave the meeting of G20 foreign ministers in the middle of the reply that Annalena Baerbock served him.
Cronyism in the shadow of conflict
“Sergueï Lavrov always tests us psychologically,” reports Mélanie Joly. “He always used sometimes the charm, sometimes the threat to destabilize his counterparts. But we too have a powerful destabilizing force against him. Because we are able to work within female solidarity and exchange advice, ways of doing things and support each other. »
The bond of friendship between Mélanie Joly, Liz Truss and Annalena Baerbock was instantaneous, remembers the first. As early as December 2021, as Russia began massing its troops on the Ukrainian border, the three newly appointed ministers met at the G7 foreign ministers meeting in Liverpool. The current has passed. Nearly a dozen other meetings of the G7, four of NATO, one of the G20 followed. Coffees were therefore frequent. So are secure calls and texts.
And this, although the three women have differences of opinion and political affiliation. “On the question of Ukraine, we very quickly became allies, because we had basically the same reading of the situation. We were united in the face of an injustice that was obvious and that required very strong action. »
Catherine Colonna joined them three months ago. “At the start, it was more of a trio. I am happy that we have added one more woman, ”says Mélanie Joly.
Help each other among allies
Over the phone calls and meetings, the ministers coordinated to impose sanctions on Russia and send military aid to Ukraine. Liz Truss and Mélanie Joly also signed an open letter published in their national media condemning the sexual violence committed against Ukrainian women in Boutcha and Irpin and demanding that those responsible be brought to justice. The ministers helped their Swedish counterpart, Ann Linde, to negotiate with Turkey so that the country accepts Sweden’s membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
In the management of the geopolitical consequences of the war, we wanted to ensure that women are not perceived just as victims, but also as being at the heart of the solutions.
Annalena Baerbock has convened a summit of European allies to support Moldova’s President Maia Sandu as she grapples with the massive influx of refugees. Mélanie Joly helped her Indonesian counterpart, Retno Marsudi, who chairs the G20 this year, to manage Russia’s presence at the meetings.
“In managing the geopolitical consequences of the war, we wanted to ensure that women were not perceived just as victims, but also as being at the heart of the solutions,” said Minister Joly.
Female mutual aid beyond collaboration within the G7 was not fortuitous. “Because misogyny exists. Because not all countries are at the same level when it comes to recognizing gender equality. »
After six months of conflict, Jocelyn Coulon, an expert in international politics at the University of Montreal and former adviser to Mr.me Joly, observed in The duty that the international common front was beginning to crumble.
“Although some countries are sometimes more neutral or more timid in condemning the invasion, there is no G20 country that supported Russia [lors de la rencontre des ministres en juillet] “retorts the Minister.
Mme Joly also remains optimistic, even if her quartet is about to lose a player, since polls predict that Briton Liz Truss will be elected as the new leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on Monday. “One more woman in spheres of power is always good news for the cause of women,” she said, without wishing to assume the result of the English vote.