Washington launched it. Europe is split over it. Now Brussels must decide how far to go with Trump’s Gaza board.
European Union foreign ministers are set to meet Monday in Brussels with Nikolay Mladenov, director of the U.S.-backed Board of Peace, as the bloc grapples with how to respond to President Donald Trump’s controversial plan for Gaza’s reconstruction and governance.
Mladenov, a former U.N. diplomat tapped by Trump to oversee the initiative, will sit down with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and ministers from the 27-member bloc. The discussions come as EU capitals remain divided over whether to formally align with the board, which aims to shape Gaza’s postwar future.
The EU maintains deep ties to both Israel and the Palestinians and plays a key oversight role at the Rafah border crossing. It is also the largest donor to the Palestinian Authority. That position has placed Brussels at the center of debate over reconstruction, humanitarian oversight and long-term governance in Gaza.
Hungary and Bulgaria have joined the board as full members, while candidate countries including Turkey, Kosovo and Albania have also signed on. Twelve other EU nations attended last week’s inaugural Washington meeting as observers. The EU flag was displayed at the event.
But resistance is growing. French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declined formal participation. Von der Leyen did, however, send Mediterranean Commissioner Dubravka Šuica as an observer — a move that drew criticism from France.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the Commission’s attendance broke institutional norms, arguing that such engagement should have been cleared by the European Council.
Commission officials insist accepting invitations falls within their remit and say the EU seeks to shape Gaza’s reconstruction while maintaining support for the United Nations’ central role in conflict resolution.
Trump’s ambitions for the Board of Peace reportedly stretch beyond rebuilding Gaza to reshaping the diplomatic framework traditionally led by the U.N. Security Council. Yet progress remains limited on even narrower ceasefire goals, underscoring the complexity of the territory’s political and security landscape.
For Brussels, the immediate challenge is balancing influence with unity — and deciding whether engagement means endorsement.
