EU Foreign Affairs Council (Development) Meets in Brussels — Kallas Reviews Global Gateway Amid Geopolitical Turbulence

EU High Representative Kaja Kallas chaired the Foreign Affairs Council in its Development configuration on May 18 in Brussels, bringing together EU development ministers and cooperation chiefs. The meeting reviewed the future of EU external action in a world reshaped by multiple simultaneous conflicts — Russia-Ukraine, the Middle East war, and the Sudan crisis — and the impact of these crises on EU development priorities in Africa and the Middle East. Ministers assessed the Global Gateway investment initiative, the EU's €300 billion infrastructure and connectivity programme designed to offer developing nations an alternative to Chinese Belt and Road projects. The FAC also addressed coordination with multilateral development banks and the reform of Official Development Assistance (ODA) rules, as multiple EU member states have reclassified Ukraine military support within ODA budgets, distorting headline numbers and reducing effective development spending in Global South regions.