U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled his newly established “Board of Peace” on an international platform Thursday, with numerous countries accepting his call to participate in the initiative focused on the reconstruction of Gaza. By Thursday morning, approximately 35 nations, including key Middle Eastern players like Israel, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, had enlisted in the board. However, European countries and Canada, traditional allies of the United States, have exhibited reluctance in committing to the project and its associated membership costs.
In a subsequent development, President Trump announced the withdrawal of Canada’s invitation to join the board. To secure a permanent position on the board, which Trump is slated to lead indefinitely, countries are required to make a minimum payment of $1 billion USD, as outlined in a preliminary draft. Member nations will serve three-year terms, while Trump extended invitations to around 50 countries, with responses pending from several invitees.
Although the final roster of participating countries remains pending, initial members such as the United Arab Emirates, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Morocco, and Vietnam swiftly joined the board. France, on the other hand, declined the invitation, citing discrepancies between the board’s charter and a United Nations resolution addressing the Gaza conflict, further highlighting incongruences with the UN charter.
Slovenia’s Prime Minister Robert Golob also rejected the invitation, expressing concerns over the board’s potential interference with the global order. In a contrasting stance, Moscow is contemplating joining the board, with Russian President Vladimir Putin proposing a $1 billion contribution from frozen Russian assets in the U.S.
President Trump conducted a signing ceremony for the board in Davos, Switzerland, emphasizing his personal background in real estate during his concluding remarks. He characterized Gaza as a valuable asset and credited the location as the impetus for his efforts to broker peace between Israel and Hamas.
The ceremony coincided with ongoing deadly Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, despite a ceasefire agreement brokered by the U.S. on October 10. Leveraging the ceasefire agreement, Trump has expanded the initiative into a comprehensive strategy aimed at global conflict resolution, prompting some nations to approach participation cautiously due to limited clarity on the initiative’s future objectives.