Trump and the EU’s Cold War Over Gaza’s Future

With the serious rift between Europe and the US over the future of Gaza becoming public, European officials in Munich have warned that the Trump-backed “Board of Peace” is outside the UN framework and is diverting the reconstruction and ceasefire process to Washington’s desired path.

News ID: 87396

Date: 15 February 2026 - 08:43

TEHRAN (Defapress) - The sharp disagreement between Europe and the US over the future of Gaza has become public, and Kaja Kallas, the head of the European Union’s foreign policy, has warned that Donald Trump’s Board of Peace is a personal tool for the US president that eliminates any accountability to the Palestinians or the UN.

On Friday, Kallas noted at the Munich Security Conference: “The original purpose of the UN resolution and mission was to help Gaza through the peace mission, but since the mission’s charter makes no mention of Gaza or the UN, this purpose has changed.”

In this regard, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares also accused Trump of trying to circumvent the original UN mandate for the board, saying: "Europe, as one of the main providers of funds to the Palestinian Authority, has been left out of this process."

The Spanish Foreign Minister added: "The UN Security Council resolution foresees a peace board for Gaza and sets its time limit until 2027, and gives the Palestinians the right to comment. In addition, the resolution refers to Gaza, while the Board of Peace's statute makes no mention of any of these matters. Therefore, although a resolution was issued by the Security Council, the Peace Board does not reflect its intentions."

On the other hand, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy expressed concern and emphasized that this board was chosen in such a way that there is no oversight over the billions of dollars in reconstruction funds in the hands of Trump's friends and relatives.

The remarks are the first time the disagreements over Trump’s project have been made public at such a high level, highlighting tensions over the state of the Gaza ceasefire and the peace panel meeting scheduled for next week in Washington.

At a side event, Nickolay Mladenov, Trump’s top envoy for Gaza, tried to avoid controversy and focus on the immediate tasks ahead. “All of this has to happen very quickly,” he said. “If we don’t do this, we’re not going to have a second phase of the ceasefire, we’re going to have a second phase of the war,” he said.

“My focus is on improving humanitarian assistance, disarming all sides, and ending the division of Gaza, which is run partly by Israel and partly by the Palestinians,” Mladenov added.

“How do we get to a two-state solution if we don’t address the issue of Hamas and Gaza, which is divided into two parts?” Trump’s top envoy for Gaza noted. I don’t see a way out. We are setting ourselves up for total and utter defeat, and both Israelis and Palestinians will pay the price in the future.

Mladenov warned that first aid, emergency reconstruction on the ground, and security are urgently needed, adding: “None of these can be achieved until Gaza is a safe zone. To rebuild Gaza, we need a technocratic committee in the Strip and effective governance, disarmament, and Israeli withdrawal from the area.”

Across the square, Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, attacked Kallas in a diplomatic row.

The US ambassador to the UN confirmed that Indonesia had agreed to contribute 8,000 troops to the international stabilization force and said that more troops would be announced next week. Waltz also claimed that some countries were not comfortable with allocating billions of dollars for reconstruction through the UN system.

Describing Trump's policy as "focused multilateralism," Mike Waltz said: "We needed to put the United Nations on a diet and return it to its original settings."

Palestinian activists say talks on rebuilding Gaza may never materialize, as the entire West Bank is ready for settlement construction and Israel hammers the final nail into the coffin of the Oslo Accords.