Beyza Binnur Donmez
22 January 2026•Update: 22 January 2026
- Madrid's approach should be based on 'principles of UN Charter, respect for int'l law, helping to achieve a just and lasting peace in Gaza'
- Any framework on Greenland must be jointly agreed by allies
GENEVA
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Thursday Spain is working with its European partners to forge a "common EU position" on US President Donald Trump's proposed Board of Peace for Gaza, stressing that any European stance must be grounded in international law and multilateral principles.
Speaking in an interview with Spanish public broadcaster TVE from Davos, Albares said Madrid was coordinating closely with EU partners. "I have been speaking with our partners in the European Union to try to reach a common position on this," he said.
He said Spain's approach is clear, "which is to try to forge a common European stance that is certainly based on the principles of the UN Charter, that respects international law, and that always helps to achieve a just and lasting peace in Gaza."
Albares added that any announcement regarding Spain's participation in the initiative would be made by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
The White House has said the Board of Peace is part of a broader 20-point plan on Gaza endorsed by the UN Security Council in November 2025 under Resolution 2803.
The initiative, initially conceived as a mechanism to oversee the Gaza ceasefire and post-war reconstruction, has since expanded into a broader international conflict-mediation body, with dozens of countries invited to join.
Earlier on Thursday, Trump called the board "one of the most consequential bodies ever created."
Trump confirmed on Tuesday that he invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to join the Board of Peace.
Any framework on Arctic security requires 'joint' decision
The minister also addressed questions about the preliminary agreement between Trump and NATO chief Mark Rutte, stressing that any framework would require collective approval.
Albares said he did not yet have details of the deal but added that if any measure were to be implemented by NATO, “the Atlantic Council would of course have to be informed and decide jointly.”
"What is certainly non-negotiable for Spain is the principle of sovereign equality and territorial integrity of states. And the Greenlanders have made that very clear," he said, and added: "They want to remain part of Denmark. They want to remain a member state of the European Union."
Asked about the lifting of tariffs against the EU following the Trump-Rutte deal, the minister said he finds it "completely unacceptable" that tariffs are being used as a way to negotiate.
Albares said Europe must respond by strengthening its own deterrence, particularly against economic pressure. "This is the moment for Europe to take a leap toward its own sovereignty," he said, arguing that the first line of defense must be economic.
He said this required both diversifying trade partnerships and making clear that the EU had tools to respond. “We have the instruments of deterrence at our disposal so that no one can exert commercial coercion against us,” he added.
