Europe Clutches Its Pearls Over Trump’s Newly Minted Board Of Peace
President Donald Trump unveiled his new “Board of Peace” at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, but its debut was marked by the conspicuous absence of some of America’s historic allies. While several regional…
President Donald Trump unveiled his new “Board of Peace” at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, but its debut was marked by the conspicuous absence of some of America’s historic allies.
While several regional powers signed on, most of Europe and other traditional U.S. partners remained on the sidelines. Some European governments said they needed more time to consider the proposal, but France declined outright, arguing that the board’s charter “goes beyond the framework of Gaza and raises serious questions, in particular with respect to the principles and structure of the United Nations, which cannot be called into question.”
The board was originally pitched as part of the president’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza, but Trump has since framed it as a broader global body, fueling skepticism among Western powers wary of empowering an alternative to the United Nations (UN). Notably, the peace framework, including the board, was approved by the UN Security Council in November.
“Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much whatever we want to do. And we’ll do it in conjunction with the United Nations,” Trump said at the signing ceremony of the founding charter. “I’ve always said the United Nations has got tremendous potential, has not used it.”
Trump was flanked by political allies Argentine President Javier Milei and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, as well as representatives from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Armenia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Paraguay, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia, according to CNBC.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he intends to participate, though he was not present at the signing ceremony.
Under draft terms, permanent members would reportedly be required to contribute $1 billion each and grant Trump authority as the board’s inaugural chairman.
None of the other permanent members of the UN Security Council — the UK, France, China or Russia — have committed to join. France declined, while Britain said it would not join “at present.”
Beyond concerns about undermining the UN, a major source of hesitation is the invitation for Russian President Vladimir Putin to serve on a body tasked with resolving global conflicts. The Kremlin says it is still studying the details of the proposal, according to Reuters.
“We won’t be one of the signatories today,” Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC, citing concerns the legal treaty “raises much broader issues.”
“And we do also have concerns about President Putin being part of something which is talking about peace when we have still not seen any signs from Putin that there will be a commitment to peace in Ukraine,” Cooper added.
Germany, Canada, Spain, and the Netherlands have also held back, while Sweden, Slovenia and Norway declined the invitation, according to CNBC.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, typically seen as friendly toward Trump, said Italy needs more time to review the proposal, Reuters reported.
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