Politics

The European Union will participate in the first meeting of President Donald Trump's Board of Peace this week, but officials confirmed on Monday (Feb 16) that the EU will not become a member. Dubravka Suica, the European commissioner for the Mediterranean, will travel to Washington to represent the EU at the event on Thursday. An EU spokesman, Guillaume Mercier, stated, “She will take part in the meeting focusing on Gaza. I want to clarify that the European Commission is not becoming a member of the Board of Peace.” He mentioned that the EU is joining the meeting to show its “long-standing commitment” to the Gaza ceasefire and to aid in reconstruction efforts there. The Board of Peace, chaired by Trump, was originally set up to manage the Gaza truce and rebuilding after the conflict between Hamas and Israel. However, its role has expanded to address various international disputes, raising concerns that the president may aim to establish a competitor to the United Nations. Several EU member nations have voiced their worries about the board. EU spokesman Anouar El Anouni said, “We still have many questions about different aspects of the Board of Peace: one about its focus, another about its governance, and a third about its alignment with the UN Charter.”