This week's European news cycle spans from the Horn of Africa to the Aegean, with a closed-door meeting in Brussels adding a transatlantic twist. Here's what you need to know.
Kushner's Gaza Vision Raises Eyebrows in Brussels
Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key figure on the Board of Peace, addressed a closed-door session of the Palestine Donor Group in Brussels last week. Speaking via video, he dismissed existing Gaza aid initiatives as "designed step by step by NGOs and terrorists" and called for a fundamental shift to "turn the tide," according to sources familiar with the talks.
The meeting, where European and Arab delegates pledged nearly €900 million for recovery, was overshadowed by Kushner's controversial remarks. The Board of Peace, chaired by Trump, is expected to oversee Gaza's reconstruction. European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica triggered outrage in February by travelling to Washington for a Board meeting, despite the Commission's doubts about its compatibility with the UN charter.
Kallas Plants the EU Flag in Djibouti
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas travelled to Djibouti this week, a tiny but strategically vital country on the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The visit, timed as Houthi drones and missiles continue to threaten Red Sea shipping, was a clear signal: Brussels intends to be a security actor in its own right.
Kallas oversaw the signing of a new EU-Djibouti Status of Forces Agreement, the legal framework for European forces to operate from Djiboutian soil. The country already hosts American, French, Japanese, and Chinese military bases within sight of one another. For Europe, this stretch of water is where abstract worries about energy, trade, and security become physically real. The agreement cements a European foothold in a region where everyone is jostling for position.
Greek LNG Stalemate Holds Up Sanctions Package
Negotiations over the 21st package of EU sanctions against Russia are stuck on liquefied natural gas (LNG). Greece, home to a powerful maritime industry, is raising objections to a ban on transporting Russian LNG to non-EU countries, scheduled to take full effect in January 2027. The ban was agreed last year and is unrelated to the current draft package.
Athens argues that prohibiting transport won't dent Russia's war chest because Moscow will simply find other operators, particularly from China, to take on the job. The fact that Greece is trying to reopen a settled issue is rubbing diplomats the wrong way. The goal now is to find a compromise that satisfies Greece without setting a dangerous precedent that would encourage other capitals to revisit past decisions.
Russian Soldier Ban and Austrian Demands in Limbo
The entry ban on Russian soldiers has been downgraded again. The latest version indicates an intention to continue working toward full implementation, without imposing an obligation of enforcement. In other words, it won't happen until member states are convinced it will be effective.
A similarly ambivalent wording has been used to placate Austria over its request to lift sanctions on Rasperia to offset a €2.1 billion loss incurred by Raiffeisen Bank International in Russia. Ambassadors intend to promise Vienna a solution at a later stage. It's not a "yes," but it isn't a "no" either.
Rule of Law Report: Slovakia Now the Biggest Worry
The European Commission will release its annual rule of law assessment today, rating member states and four candidate countries on media freedom, corruption, and judicial independence. Hungary has often been the worst performer, but MEP Daniel Freund says "Hungarian voters have solved some of this" with the election of Péter Magyar in April.
Freund now points to Slovakia as his biggest concern, citing Bratislava's dismantling of the Special Prosecutor's Office and National Crime Agency. "These legal changes allow already convicted corrupt people to walk free or for their investigations to be stopped," he explained. Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath said the report's purpose is "not simply to identify where problems exist, but to help build a stronger culture of respect for the rule of law across Europe."
For more on EU legal enforcement, see our coverage of the European Prosecutor Charges Four Greek MPs in CAP Fraud Investigation.
