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PRESIDENT Donald Trump officially launched his Board of Peace initiative, barreling ahead with a project he says will promote geopolitical stability even as its creation spurs rancor and reservations from key allies.
Trump sought to allay some of those worries on Thursday, saying that the organization would “work with many others, including the United Nations,” during a celebratory event on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much whatever in conjunction with the United Nations. You know, I’ve always said the United Nations has got tremendous potential,” Trump said.
Trump was joined on stage by founding members of the board, including political allies who share his populist worldview, Argentine President Javier Milei and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, as well as representatives from a host of nations, including Bahrain, Morocco, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan.
Leaders joined Trump at a table to sign documents, which White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said put the board’s charter “in full force” and made it an “official international organization.”
The Board of Peace also signals Trump’s push to move into the second phase of his Gaza peace plan, even as Hamas refuses to relinquish its weapons. The president on Thursday sought to cast the initial phase of the peace deal as a success and said the US was committed to seeing Gaza “properly rebuilt” even as he cautioned that Hamas should return the remains of the last deceased hostage from its 2023 assault on Israel.
He opened the event by boasting about the US economy and his claims to have stopped at least eight wars, a figure that includes conflicts that had not broken into open hostilities or where long-running animosities have still not been resolved. He also reiterated his desire for $1.5 trillion in US defense spending and hailed NATO allies for boosting their spending targets, even as he jabbed at Spain which has still not committed to that figure.
“They want a free ride, I guess,” Trump said.
Rocky Start
Despite Trump’s fanfare Thursday, the board has gotten off to a rocky start, plagued by doubts over its objectives, composition and the control the US president will yield. Crucial US allies, including major Group of Seven economies, are still on the sidelines, unready to embrace the endeavor but also wary of offending a US president who sees the pet project as part of his legacy.
Trump initially proposed the board as part of a peace plan for war-torn Gaza, tasked with helping oversee its reconstruction. But a draft charter seen by Bloomberg suggested a broader remit to “secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict,” an expansive vision that has alarmed many US partners who worry it will seek to rival — and undercut — the UN. Those fears have persisted despite efforts by the Trump administration to convince nations the board will complement, not supplant, the UN.
The draft also asked countries to contribute at least $1 billion to secure a permanent spot and would grant Trump ultimate decision-making power as its “inaugural chairman” with the possibility he could remain in that role even after his presidency ends.
The membership has also alarmed democratic allies. Trump extended an invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin that sparked outrage given the Kremlin’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, along with another authoritarian leader, Belarus’s Alexander Lukashenko.
Around 60 leaders were invited to join, based on media reports and official statements. No nations from sub-Saharan Africa are among the invitees.
Among the nations who have declined so far to join are France, the UK, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany and Canada. After France’s Emmanuel Macron declined his invite, Trump threatened the country with a 200% tariff on champagne, and shared a private text from Macron on social media.
“Everyone of them is a friend of mine,” Trump said on stage, joking that “a couple let’s see, a couple I like, a couple I don’t like. No. I like actually, this group, I like every single one of them, can you believe it? Usually I have about two or three that I can’t stand.”
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said he’s up for joining the board “in principle” but added at Davos on Tuesday that it should be focused on addressing Gaza’s needs. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer declined to endorse the board, and said he would coordinate with allies for a response.
That hesitance also came as leaders this week struggled to deal with another geopolitical flashpoint, Trump’s demands for Denmark to cede control of Greenland, backed by the threat of new tariffs. The president dropped the tariff threat late Wednesday, saying he had reached the “framework of a future deal” regarding the Arctic island.
Trump earlier this week said he wished that “we didn’t need a Board of Peace,” but that the UN had failed to help him solve the world’s conflicts.
Gaza Efforts
While the UN Security Council originally endorsed Trump’s plan for Gaza, the broader remit caught the council off-guard. On Monday, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said the Security Council had authorized the Board of Peace only for its work in Gaza.
When the president introduced the peace board concept in October, it was intended to aid Gaza’s rebuilding after the a devastating war between Israel and Hamas. A high-level committee of world leaders would oversee a team of technocrats governing the coastal enclave instead of Hamas militants with the aim of attracting foreign investment laying the groundwork for an international security force.
Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, presented a slideshow Thursday on the plans to help stabilize the territory and said there were plans “in a couple of weeks” to hold a conference to announce contributions from the private sector, as he urged more investment for Gaza.
“I know it’s a little risky to be invested in a place like this, but we need you to come, take faith, invest in the people, try to be a part of it,” Kushner said.
Israel has welcomed Trump’s diplomacy as the country suspended its two-year Gaza war with an October ceasefire. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also signaled willingness to resume the offensive against Hamas if the Iran-backed Islamist faction continues to balk at calls to disarm.
“Right now We are giving the Americans a chance to see the process through,” Zev Elkin, a member of Netanyahu’s security cabinet, told Tel Aviv radio station 103 FM. “If you’re asking me whether I think it will work? I think that ultimately it’ll be necessary for us to return to strip Hamas of its weaponry, because no one will do it on our behalf.” –BLOOMBERG
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