Greece considers participation in Trump’s Peace Council for €1 billion

Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis confirmed on Sunday that Greece received an official invitation from US President Donald Trump become one of the founding states of the so-called Peace Council on Gaza.

“We are studying all the relevant documents very carefully,” the foreign minister said, without going into additional details.

“I confirm that Greece has received an invitation from President Trump to become a founding member of the Peace Council. We carefully analyze the submitted documents. As is known, the creation of the Peace Council is in accordance with the resolution UN Security Council 2803for which Greece, as an elected member, voted positively,” noted Gerapetritis, speaking from Cairowhere he was on a visit to participate in trilateral meeting of Greece, Cyprus and Egypt.

The minister emphasized that Greece consistently supports initiativesaimed at strengthening peace, security and stability, and in this context will coordinate its actions with partners in European Unionas well as with “important friends and allies”, including Egypt.

“We prefer diplomacy to war and advocate stability in the region instead of chaos. We believe in cooperation and understanding, avoiding hatred and division,” he added.

Welcoming the beginning second phase of the American 20-point planthe minister expressed the opinion that reformed and strengthened Palestinian Authority can become a reliable partner in the peace process, confirming that Greece “strives to be present in Gaza in the subsequent period.”

It is reported that Egypt and Türkiye have also responded to Trump’s initiative and are considering the possibility of joining the Gaza Peace Council.

International media, including Reuters And Bloombergpreviously reported that participation in the Council involves €1 billion contributionand all funds collected will be under the personal control of Donald Trumpwho will also head the Council.

According to published draft charterTrump will become the first Chairman of the Peace Council and will receive exclusive right to determine the composition of participants. Formally, each country will have one vote, but any decision will require the personal approval of the chairman, which effectively gives him veto power.

The draft charter provides three-year term of participation for member states with the possibility of extension at the discretion of the chairman. However, the restriction does not apply to countries that contribute more than $1 billion in cash in the first year of the Council’s work.

Editorial comment

Failure to pay the “entrance billion” to Trump does not mean disaster for Greece. But this step will not remain without consequences. This is not about sanctions, but about the political configuration in which Athens will find itself.

It is important to immediately capture the main thing: Greece’s refusal to pay a billion violates neither international law, nor UN obligations, nor norms EU. The Gaza Peace Council is not a universal institution and is not part of the existing global security architecture. This US initiativedesigned as a voluntary club with paid admission.

Hence, Formally, Greece risks nothing. There will be no automatic sanctions, economic penalties or diplomatic isolation. Athens will not find itself in the position of an “offender country.” This is fundamental.

But reality, as usual, is more complicated than formalities. Risks lie in political relations with Washington. Refusal will be perceived not as a legal step, but as political signal: Distancing from Donald Trump’s personal project.

What does this mean in practice?

• Greece will be outside the inner circle a new mechanism where future agreements on Gaza and, more broadly, on the Eastern Mediterranean will be discussed.
• Athens will retain its status as a partner of the United States, but non-privileged participant initiatives.
• The impact on processes will be indirectthrough the EU, Egypt, the UN, and not by direct voice.

In this case, you need to honestly say: even with the payment of a billion, Greece would not gain decisive influence. The project is structured in such a way that the key levers remain with the Chairman of the Council – that is, Trump. The voice of Athens would be presence, not control.

There is also an internal side to the issue. One billion euros is a politically toxic amount. In conditions where the state restrains social spending and demonstrates budgetary “discipline,” transferring such funds for participation in an incompletely defined body would look extremely vulnerable within the country.

Therefore, refusal is not a gesture of confrontation, but choosing the lesser of two inconveniences. Athens can explain it by the need for consultations with the EU, the uncertainty of the Council’s mandate and the priority of international institutions.

Bottom line. If Greece does not pay the billion, it will not be isolated, but outside Trump’s personal project. This means less direct access, but also a lack of financial and political commitment in a status-diffusing structure.

For Athens this is unpleasant but manageable. For Trump, it’s just another lever of pressure. And for Greece, it is a reminder that in the new world reality, it is sometimes more profitable to stay at the door than to pay for entry without guarantees.

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