In a notable diplomatic move, Brussels announced that European Commissioner Dubravka Šuyić will travel to Washington to participate in the inaugural meeting of the "Peace Council" scheduled for this week. This European presence comes in response to the initiative launched by US President Donald Trump. While the European Union confirmed its participation in the session, it clarified unequivocally that it will not formally join the new council, preferring to participate as an observer or a party concerned with specific issues.
The Commissioner for the Mediterranean is scheduled to focus on the most pressing issue in the region during her visit to Washington on Thursday: the humanitarian and political situation in the Gaza Strip. The European engagement aims to highlight a unified continental stance on the crisis and to attempt to influence the decisions that may be made by this new entity, particularly in light of escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Context of the initiative and the controversy it sparked
The “Peace Council” initiative comes within the context of US President Donald Trump’s vision to reshape the mechanisms of international diplomacy. The council was initially established with the stated goal of ending the war in Gaza. However, its charter grants it broad powers that extend beyond the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to include the resolution of armed conflicts worldwide, making it a parallel entity to traditional international institutions.
The council's organizational structure has sparked considerable controversy in international diplomatic circles, particularly the financial requirement that permanent members pay $1 billion to gain membership. This requirement has led many analysts and politicians to express concerns that the body could become a "fee-paying version" of the UN Security Council, where financial power might override international legitimacy and legality in making crucial decisions.
The European position: caution and legitimate questions
In clarifying the official position, Guillaume Mercier, the EU spokesperson, stated that Suwetta's participation was limited to "the Gaza component" only, emphasizing that the European Commission is not a member of the Council. This statement reflects the EU's pragmatic strategy in dealing with the US administration; on the one hand, the EU does not want to be excluded from decision-making regarding Mediterranean security, while on the other hand, it is hesitant to fully engage with an entity whose legal framework is still unclear.
The European Commission confirmed during a press briefing that it still has fundamental questions about the Council, relating to its scope of application, governance mechanisms, and, most importantly, its compatibility with the UN Charter. Brussels fears that the Council could marginalize the role of the United Nations or create diplomatic pathways that contravene international humanitarian law, necessitating close monitoring of the situation before taking any further steps toward deepening the partnership.
