Donald Trump is reportedly pushing for world leaders to formalize his proposed “Board of Peace" during a special signing event at this week’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
An invitation, posted on social media by Axios reporter Barak Ravid, shows the president urging heads of state to attend a 10:30 a.m. ceremony on Thursday to endorse the Board’s charter.
Highlights
- Donald Trump pushes for his ‘Board of Peace’ to be signed at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week.
- The Board aims to guide Gaza’s post-war reconstruction and was endorsed by the U.N. Security Council last November.
- The Board charter grants Trump wide control, including veto power, and inviting or expelling members, sparking major international concerns.
- Some leaders like Hungary and Argentina accepted, while France, Russia, Israel, and many European nations expressed skepticism or refusal.
The White House announced last week that the board would guide Gaza’s post-war reconstruction, and it was endorsed by the U.N. Security Council last November.
Donald Trump is pushing for leaders to sign his Board of Peace at the World Economic Forum
Image credits: BarakRavid/X
“This Board will be one of a kind, there has never been anything like it!” Trump wrote in letters that were sent to almost 60 nations on Friday.
“Our effort will bring together a distinguished group of nations ready to shoulder the noble responsibility of building LASTING PEACE, an Honor reserved for those prepared to lead by example, and brilliantly invest in a secure and prosperous future for generations to come,” he added.
Bloomberg’s sources on the inside told the outlet on Monday that there was widespread confusion behind the scenes.
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The tight timeframe has led to hurried deliberations among officials, many of whom view the initiative as a bid to establish a Trump-led alternative to the United Nations, an institution he has repeatedly disparaged.
One of their key concerns was the huge control the charter grants Trump, as well as the massive membership fee of $1bn if states want to remain on the board for longer than three years.
Many leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, got the offer to join the “one of a kind” board over the weekend.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Monday that Russia was seeking to “clarify all the nuances” of the offer before giving its response.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Argentinian President Javier Milei have already accepted the proposal.
A senior French official revealed that France has also been invited to join the board, saying, “France was invited to join the Board of Peace and is examining the proposed legal framework with its partners. At this stage, it does not intend to give a favorable response.”
European leaders are reportedly sceptical, given the power the proposal would give Trump
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They continued, “The Charter goes beyond the sole framework of Gaza. It raises major questions, in particular regarding respect for the principles and structure of the United Nations, which cannot under any circumstances be called into question.”
Trump has since threatened 200 per cent tariffs on French wine and champagne.
Canada said it was open to joining the board “in principle” but refused to pay any fee. The U.K. said it needed to consider the idea. Poland expressed skepticism about the fact that Russia had also been invited, despite its ongoing war in Ukraine.
Israel has objected to the proposal since it “was not coordinated with Israel and is contrary to its policy.”
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Bloomberg reported that European officials, on the other hand, are scrambling to change the terms of the board. According to a leaked draft published by The Times of Israel, the current charter contains zero mentions of Gaza, despite the initial idea being centered around it, and gives the Board a far wider mission.
EU concerns include navigating where the permanent membership fee would go, and what guarantees would be put in place to ensure the funds are applied to rebuild Gaza, as claimed by an anonymous Washington official to the Associated Press.
European leaders, many of whom are already on edge given Trump’s insistence to own Greenland, and the threat of increased tariffs if he doesn’t get to, are understandably uneasy about allowing Trump to have all the decision-making power.
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Trump also recently admitted to no longer feeling the need “to think purely of peace” after he was snubbed for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The board structurally gives near complete control of the body to the Peace Board's chairman, Trump himself. This includes the right to invite and expel member states at will as well as veto power over all decisions, and “final authority” on how the charter should be interpreted.
According to Bloomberg, European countries are already lobbying for changes to these terms and convincing Arab nations to do the same.
Other countries reportedly invited include Australia, Belarus, Egypt, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Jordan, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, and Ukraine.