Nickolay Mladenov, a former Bulgarian foreign and defence minister who later served as the United Nations’ top envoy for Middle East peace, is emerging as a leading contender to take on a senior role in Gaza under U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed postwar framework, according to officials familiar with the discussions.
Mladenov’s name is circulating in Washington as a potential top official working on behalf of Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace,” a body expected to oversee governance and reconstruction in Gaza during a transition period. His candidacy has gained traction after fierce opposition forced the United States and Israel to look beyond former British prime minister Tony Blair, whose name triggered widespread backlash .
The contrast is striking. While Bulgaria has been rocked by protests over corruption and a cost-of-living crisis, Mladenov has been operating from Abu Dhabi, where he heads the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy and has been involved in high-level diplomacy linking Europe, the Gulf and the Middle East.
A Familiar Figure in Middle East Diplomacy
Mladenov, 53, built a reputation as a pragmatic interlocutor during nearly six years as the UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, a post he held until 2021. In that role, he was unusually well regarded by all sides, including Israel, the Palestinian Authority and even Hamas.
“He has good knowledge of the region and good relations with almost everyone,” one Arab official who worked with him during that period told Middle East Eye.
Mladenov himself has said his Balkan background helped shape his approach. In a 2021 interview, he noted that the Balkans’ history of shifting borders, ethnic conflict and population exchanges gave him a deeper understanding of why the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could not be solved by simple territorial lines.
From Sofia to the Gulf
Born in 1972 into a family connected to Bulgaria’s communist-era elite, Mladenov reinvented himself politically after the fall of communism, becoming an advocate for European integration. He went on to serve as Bulgaria’s defence minister and later foreign minister, as well as a member of the European Parliament.
After leaving government, he transitioned to international diplomacy and later to the Gulf, joining a growing cohort of former Western and European officials recruited by wealthy Middle Eastern states to help shape policy, diplomacy and strategic messaging.
His career has not been without controversy. Mladenov appeared in the 2021 Pandora Papers, which revealed he had set up an offshore company in the Seychelles in 2013. He has said the company was never active and was created before he joined the UN.
UAE Ties and U.S. Calculations
Western officials say Mladenov’s close ties to the United Arab Emirates — and by extension Israel — are a key factor behind his consideration for the Gaza role.
“What matters is not the individual, but who is really in control of the process,” one Western official told Middle East Eye, adding that whoever is appointed is likely to face intense criticism.
Mladenov has also cultivated strong relations with Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, during negotiations over the 2020 Abraham Accords, which normalised relations between Israel and several Arab states, including the UAE. Kushner later said the administration relied heavily on Mladenov’s advice during those talks.
Mladenov has defended the accords, arguing they helped prevent Israel from formally annexing the occupied West Bank at the time.
Gaza Plan Still Stalled
Trump has touted progress on Gaza following a ceasefire brokered by U.S. envoys in October, but his administration’s broader 20-point plan for the territory has stalled. Despite the truce, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes that Gaza authorities say violate the ceasefire.
While the UN Security Council has approved a mandate for an international stabilisation force in Gaza, Arab and Muslim countries expected to contribute troops remain reluctant, fearing entanglement between Hamas — which remains armed — and Israeli forces occupying large parts of the enclave.
Among Gulf states, the UAE has emerged as the largest donor to Gaza, while Saudi Arabia and Qatar have distanced themselves from reconstruction plans absent a clear political settlement.
If appointed, Mladenov would likely act as a bridge between Washington, Gulf capitals and Palestinian technocrats on the ground — a role that underscores how postwar planning for Gaza is increasingly being shaped outside traditional multilateral frameworks.
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