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Europe Today: prima riunione del Board of Peace di Trump; intervista alla quinta presidente della Georgia
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ALTRE INFORMAZIONI : http://it.euronews.com/2026/02/19/europe-today-prima-riunione-del-board-of-peace-di-trump-intervista-alla-quinta-presidente-
Abbonati, euronews è disponibile in 12 lingue.
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NovitàTrascrizione
00:15Buongiorno, è Thursday 19th February.
00:19I'm Maeve McMahan and this is Europe Today.
00:22Your daily dose of European news and analysis live here on Euronews.
00:27Coming up, U.S. President Donald Trump is set to host his first official Board of Peace gathering in Washington
00:34today.
00:35Ahead of the meeting, which will take place at the U.S. Institute of Peace,
00:39Trump, who will chair the board, described it as potentially the most consequential international body in history.
00:46The initiative has already, though, sparked strong reactions.
00:49Critics warn it reflects an imperial agenda and could sideline the UN,
00:54but supporters argue it could serve as a practical mechanism.
00:57focused on reconstruction efforts, particularly in Gaza.
01:01We can take a listen now to the White House Press Secretary, Caroline Leavis.
01:05I don't think that peace should be partisan or political or controversial.
01:09And of course, the administration wants all those who were invited to join the Board of Peace to join.
01:15And this president has a very bold and ambitious plan and vision to rebuild and reconstruct Gaza,
01:21which is well underway because of the Board of Peace.
01:24This is a legitimate organization.
01:27And your news correspondent, Maya de la Bomme, is following the story for us and joins me now in the
01:32studio.
01:32Good morning, Maya.
01:33Good morning, Maeve.
01:35So look, a big day for this Board of Peace.
01:37Brussels has sent the EU commissioner for the Mediterranean, Suiza.
01:41But so many ambassadors are furious about this.
01:43That's what you've been reporting.
01:44Tell us more.
01:45Yes, diplomats told us that there was a very tense meeting in Brussels yesterday with many countries,
01:51including and especially France and Spain, saying that they were not consulted.
01:56So they are sending Suiza in Washington, D.C.
01:59But, you know, member states should validate the mandate of Mrs. Suiza.
02:04And this is what they have been saying in this meeting where other countries also were furious because, you know,
02:11this is a foreign policy matter.
02:13And you need a mandate validated by the 27 EU countries to be able to send a commissioner to Washington,
02:20D.C.
02:20and participate in a very controversial entity, which is the Board of Peace.
02:24And on top of that, I think that, you know, most diplomats say that Mrs. Suiza has a very political
02:31figure.
02:31This is a commissioner.
02:33Commissioners are political figures.
02:34And so why would you send a political figure to D.C.?
02:38I mean, the idea for many member states and many diplomats who we spoke to said we need a lower
02:44level person.
02:45We need a civil servant.
02:46We need a diplomat, not a political figure.
02:48And on top of all of this, I think what we've gathered in our reporting is that diplomats are also
02:54furious because they think this participation of Mrs.
02:58Suiza sends the wrong signal because it means that in a way it means that Europe is validating the Board
03:04of Peace.
03:04And we know that the Board of Peace is a very controversial entity.
03:08Most member countries, and again, I'm talking about France, Spain, and I'm excluding Hungary and, you know, Bulgaria,
03:15which have said that they would participate in this Board of Peace.
03:18But the reasoning behind this is that it sends the wrong signal that Europe is validating the Board of Peace,
03:25which most countries aren't.
03:27Yes, so I'd say there's some awkward phone calls now between the Commission and the Capitals.
03:31But meanwhile, the Commission is standing by this decision.
03:34Yeah, the Commission is standing by this decision because they want to have a voice on this issue, on the
03:40issue of Gaza.
03:41You know that the European Union is the largest donor of aid in Palestine.
03:47It supports the Palestinian Authority.
03:50It has supported the Palestinian Authority for decades.
03:52And it thinks that, you know, it should participate because this is an issue.
03:57This is a reconstruction of Gaza.
03:59And Europe should be involved in this reconstruction of Gaza.
04:03So what we hear from the Commission is we stand by because we are not joining the Board of Peace.
04:08But we need to have a voice.
04:11Otherwise, we will be excluded.
04:13And, you know, our role in this region is crucial, as they tell us.
04:18OK, Maida Le Boon, thank you so much for that live update.
04:21And, of course, to find out who else will be in Washington, D.C. for those talks, do check out
04:25yournews.com.
04:26But now, coming up, we'll be joined by Saloma Suresh-Bishvili, a Georgian politician who served as the President of
04:33Georgia from 2018 to 2024.
04:37She was the first female to take on this role.
04:40Located between Eastern Europe and Western Asia, Georgia was plunged into a political and constitutional crisis after disputed elections that
04:48triggered mass anti-government protests.
04:50For its part, the European Parliament refuses to recognise the current authorities of the Georgian Dream Party and continue to
04:57see Saloma Suresh-Bishvili as the legitimate President.
05:00So good morning.
05:01Good morning.
05:01Welcome to Europe Today. Lovely to have you with us.
05:04Thank you.
05:04So the big story for us, of course, here today is Trump's Board of Peace.
05:08If you were still in office as President, would you sign up?
05:11I think that I know that our neighbours have signed up.
05:16And I think that it's very important that the region, the Caucasus, stays united and stays present in all the
05:24formats where it can be.
05:26And especially for Georgia, it's very important to be a subject of international relations and not only an object, which,
05:33unfortunately, we have become in the past period.
05:37And what should the EU do?
05:38Forgotten.
05:39You can see this big dispute now in the EU about who should go and who should not?
05:42Well, that's their own subject, which I'm not here to comment upon.
05:47But I think that for a small country like Georgia, which is faced with one enemy, Russia, that we know
05:54how it behaves, it's very important to be present in all the formats where it can have its voice heard.
06:01And you were at the Munich Security Conference.
06:04Marco Rubio was also there and he was describing the fact that the EU faces or Europe faces civilisation erasure.
06:11How do you interpret that?
06:13Well, I think that it has been, first of all, I was not at the Munich Conference this year, but
06:19I think that it is not true.
06:23It's not what happens in one day that suddenly Europe's and this civilisation is erased.
06:30And on the contrary, I think that what is happening is a wake-up of Europe, which is discovering that
06:39together with its huge economic power, its huge civilisational power, it also needs force, strength and military power.
06:50In part, that's also thanks to the wake-up call from the United States.
06:56So I think that all of that coming together is very good news for the Europeans and for the to
07:02-be Europeans.
07:03And you mentioned the threat of Russia earlier.
07:05We know that the talks were placed yesterday in Geneva for two days trying to end that war in Ukraine.
07:10Do you think they will ever come to an end?
07:13I think, of course, it will come to an end one day.
07:16What is important is how it comes to an end, because as neighbours of Russia, all the neighbours of Russia
07:23know that Russia has been a constant invader, a constant aggressor and a constant imperialist power that doesn't know where
07:31its borders stop.
07:32So what is very important out of these peace negotiations is the, of course, sovereignty of Ukraine, territorial integrity of
07:41Ukraine, and also the fact that Russia recognises elsewhere that it cannot occupy the territory of its neighbours.
07:51That's true for Abkhazia and Ossetia.
07:53That's true for North Dnepstria, Transbistria.
07:57Is Putin interested in peace, do you think, at these talks?
07:59He's never interested in peace.
08:01He has to be brought to peace by constraint.
08:06And I think that in that sense, probably, the uncertainty that Putin is probably experiencing with Trump and Trump's actions
08:15is the best ally for forcing him down to peace agreement.
08:22Maybe it's the best time that we have to see Russia having to recognise that somebody is both unpredictable and
08:32stronger than he is.
08:33And meanwhile, in Georgia, what about the path towards EU membership?
08:36It's on ice now.
08:36Talks are on hold.
08:37Well, it's a very thick ice at this time, because everything that is happening within Georgia today is distancing us
08:46from the European past, from the European reforms.
08:50We have a capture of the state by Russia.
08:54We have a Russian model, in fact, being put into place at a very rapid pace, and that's costless for
09:01Russia, much more costless than, of course, the military intervention in Ukraine.
09:07With us, it's taking over institutions, democratic old principles.
09:14But there is a civil society, unlike in Russia, or unlike in Belarus, a civil society that is fighting, that
09:23is resilient.
09:24And what more can you do here?
09:26What more can you do here?
09:28What more can I do?
09:29Be heard here.
09:30But I'm in Georgia.
09:31I'm not here.
09:32I'm going out just to have the voice of the Georgian people heard.
09:38More attention to Georgia, which is not easy at a time when there are so important and many crises around
09:45us.
09:45But it's still very important that we have the moral support, because the people that are fighting are fighting for
09:52a European, democratic Georgia.
09:54And we think that it's important not only for Georgians, but it's important for the future of a strong Europe,
10:02very present in the Caucasus, and also American partners.
10:07Okay.
10:07Salome, Serge Recholi, thank you so much for being our guest this morning here on Europe Today.
10:12But now, moving on, speaking on Europe Today just yesterday, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, Andrew Puzder,
10:18said that Europe has a major problem with mass migration.
10:20This is after Marco Rubio warned that Europe faces civilisation erasure.
10:26Our Jacopianos takes a look at the data.
10:30You might be wondering, is the EU experiencing mass migration?
10:35And you see, there isn't a simple yes or no answer, because the numbers are actually falling.
10:40Last year, Frontex saw the EU border and Coast Guard agency reported over 25% drop in irregular crossings to
10:49around 180,000.
10:52And this is less than a half the total recorded in 2023.
10:57But public perception tells a completely different story.
11:00And for clarity, let's narrow it down strictly to irregular migration, so people crossing EU borders without official permission.
11:08Because the feeling of the crisis is so strong, mainstream politicians are adapting policies that used to be considered taboo.
11:17And take Denmark as an example, led by a centre-left government.
11:22They are pushing a zero-refugee policy and advocating for asylum processing outside of Europe.
11:28And as this Denmark model spreads, the European Commission and major players like Germany are now officially backing the idea
11:35of return hubs in third countries.
11:38But this new approach is tearing the EU apart.
11:41And while the European Parliament just voted to allow deportations to unrelated third countries, Spain is going the opposite way.
11:49Madrid recently announced it will grant legal status to half a million undocumented migrants.
11:55And that raised strong reservations in Brussels.
11:58Because papers in Spain might mean free travel across the Schengen zone.
12:02Directly threatening the EU's strict new crackdown on irregular migration.
12:07Meanwhile, over 4 million Ukrainian war refugees live in the EU legally.
12:12Fleeing Russia's invasion, they did not come by choice.
12:16And what's important, they did receive official EU protection.
12:19But when you walk down the street, perception doesn't care about visas or paperwork.
12:24And that is why this clash is no longer about policies and numbers.
12:29Or even the migrants themselves.
12:36Yeah, I could be honest there.
12:37Well, moving on, Real Madrid's 1-0 victory over Benfica in the UEFA Champions League in Portugal has been overshadowed
12:44this week by fresh allegations of racist abuse.
12:47The 25-year-old Brazilian professional footballer, Vinicius Jr., was allegedly verbally abused, prompting the referee to hold up the
12:54match and trigger an anti-racism protocol.
12:57For more on the impact of this, we can now cross over to Lisbon, where Euronews' correspondent, Joao Azevedo, is
13:03standing by for us.
13:05Outside the very football stadium where the incident occurred.
13:08Good morning, Joao.
13:10Just tell us what happened and what's next.
13:15Yeah, good morning, Maeve.
13:17Good morning to you and the team over there in Brussels.
13:19It did happen at the stadium right behind me, as you said.
13:23You know, Vinicius Jr., he had just scored the goal.
13:27It was a monumental goal, curled in a shot into the top corner.
13:33But that masterpiece triggered some ugly scenes over there on the pitch.
13:40You know, Vinicius Jr., he also had a somehow provocative celebration.
13:44But still, he can celebrate as he wants.
13:47And actually, that celebration, it did put off the fans in the stands.
13:55And also some Benfica players on the pitch, especially Prestiani, who confronted Vinicius Jr.
14:03He actually pulled his shirt up over his mouth.
14:10And he did tell him something.
14:12Actually, Vinicius Jr. spotted it to the referee.
14:16He reported it to the referee, saying that he had been racially abused.
14:19Madrid's French striker, Kylian Mbappé, confirming that version at the end of the match, telling
14:27reporters in the mix zone that he heard Prestiani call Vinicius Jr. a monkey five times.
14:36Prestiani denied those allegations, with Benfica, as expected, siding with their player.
14:46And I'm going to quote a part of the statement the club put out.
14:50I think we can put it up on the screen now.
14:53Benfica reiterates that he fully supports and believes in the version presented by the player,
14:59Gianluca Prestiani.
15:01The club now regrets the defamation campaign to which the player has been subjected.
15:08However, some football legends, including Thierry Henry, also Mika Richard, they did hit out
15:18at Prestiani's behavior.
15:21And there was also some sharp criticism coming from within Benfica's circles.
15:27Take Luizão, for example, a former captain of the club.
15:31It's someone who made over 500 appearances for the club.
15:36He didn't pull any punches, he wrote on social media.
15:40I think we can also see that statement.
15:44This is what he had to say.
15:45I love Benfica.
15:46It's my second skin.
15:48This message makes it worse.
15:50He's obviously referring to Benfica's statement, saying that that message makes it worse because
15:55it's a lie.
15:56It was a racist act.
15:58Yes.
15:59And I am ashamed of that.
16:01That's pretty strong words there from Luizão.
16:06Now, UEFA has appointed an ethics and disciplinary agent who will be charged with investigating
16:13the incident.
16:15Of course, a judicial battle is now going to start.
16:21You have Madrid players saying that if Prestiani was not going to say anything wrong, then why
16:29did he feel the need to cover his mouth?
16:32But then, on the other hand, Benfica saying that it's not possible for any Madrid players
16:37really to say that.
16:38They heard any racial slur coming from Prestiani because there was a rowdy atmosphere in the
16:44stadium with a lot of noise and the distance between the players that just makes it impossible
16:51for any player to hear any racial slur from the opponent.
16:57So, now, as I said, a judicial battle will be happening.
17:03And we do know that, of course, if Prestiani is found guilty of racial abuse, he lands in
17:14hot water.
17:15Of course, he risks a pretty heavy sanction, potentially a 10-match ban.
17:23Andro, just tell us, is this an isolated case?
17:25And what does it say about racism in football?
17:28Andro, what does it say about racism in football?
17:30Yeah, it's not an isolated case, actually.
17:34And especially as for Vinicius.
17:36Vinicius Jr. is certainly not a stranger in this kind of episodes.
17:42For example, since 2022, he's filed 18 legal complaints for alleged racist abuse.
17:55So, this is a player who's been involved in this kind of incident quite often.
18:02Even the most high-profile one may be dating back to May 2023.
18:08It happened at Mestadia Stadium in Valencia when Vinicius Jr. confronted some spectators
18:16in the stands.
18:18And ultimately, three Valencia fans were sentenced to eight months in prison.
18:25And they also got banned from stadiums for two years.
18:31They even apologized to Vinicius Jr.
18:35So, that was the very first conviction for hate crimes in Spain.
18:40And obviously, a big win for Vinicius Jr.
18:43You know, some Valladolid fans, five Valladolid fans, also got sentenced to some time in jail
18:53following some racist abuse directed at Vinicius Jr.
18:58And this recently, as January 2026, like some weeks ago, a group of Alba Cede fans,
19:04fans, they were heard outside of the stadium ahead of a Copa del Rey match against Real Madrid
19:11singing racist chants towards Vinicius Jr.
19:15Now, that said, UEFA does not have a really strong track record when it comes to punishing racism.
19:23There was a 2021 Europa League match with Slavia Prague's center back found guilty.
19:35of racially abusing Glasgow Rangers midfielder, but other than that, it's been a very light
19:41fun here and then, so we'll see how things shake out.
19:44Joao Azevedo, thank you so much for that very comprehensive live update there from Lisbon.
19:49And thank you so much for watching.
19:50That does bring this edition of Europe Today to an end.
19:53For any more news and analysis, any of the stories we're covering for you here on Euronews,
19:58do visit Euronews.com.
20:00Take care and see you very soon here on Euronews.
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