Europe cautiously edges toward Trump's Gaza "Board of Peace"

The European Commission has started engaging, reluctantly and cautiously, with a structure established by US President Donald Trump for Gaza, known as the Board of Peace. Brussels is not moving toward this cooperation out of conviction but because it currently sees no better alternative for addressing the situation in the region.

So far, the concrete achievements of the Board of Peace have been limited, prompting caution in Brussels over how much trust or support — political or financial — should be placed in the initiative. Nevertheless, the European Commission has decided to engage, acknowledging that no other workable mechanism currently exists to advance the situation in Gaza.

This approach reflects a broader dilemma facing European policymakers: the desire to maintain an independent role on Middle East issues, while recognizing that meaningful progress is difficult without engaging with the US-led structure. The cooperation is being described as grudging and careful rather than enthusiastic, signaling skepticism about the board's ability to deliver tangible results.

The situation remains in flux, and it is unclear whether European involvement will deepen over time or stay limited, given the lack of concrete outcomes seen so far.