ByMaia de la Baume&Meabh McMahon
Published on
•Updated
Most of Europe can’t join Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” because it “goes way beyond” the UN Security Council mandate, Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told Euronews’ flagship program, Europe Today.
“The consensus is that what has been announced by Donald Trump goes way beyond UN Security Council mandate,” Mitsotakis said, a day after taking part in an emergency Council meeting focused on transatlantic relations. “I think we have to recognize that moving forward what has been established is something in which most European countries can’t join.”
The remarks followed formal launch in Davos of Trump’s “Board of Peace” initiative to solve conflicts around the world.
The project stems from his 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan endorsed by the UN Security Council but has expanded far beyond its initial mandate. It has been widely criticized for creating a parallel structure to the UN, giving Trump disproportionate powers and for inviting Russia. Many European allies, including Norway, Sweden and France, have declined participation, while others, such as Italy, said they would not join for now.
Mitsotakis said that the US should be involved in the reconstruction of Gaza but that the plan should be “only for Gaza” and “only for a limited amount of time.”
Less than 20 countries joined the initiative at a signing ceremony in Davos on Thursday, far fewer than the around 35 nations previously expected, according to Trump administration officials. Hungary and Bulgaria were the only European countries to take part.
On current tensions with the US over Greenland, Mitsotakis expressed relief after Trump suddenly backtracked from his threat to seize the Arctic territory, choosing instead a long-term deal on Arctic security brokered by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
“The transatlantic relationship is becoming more complicated, and it needs to be managed in different ways,” he said. “The EU needs to stand up for its own interests.”