U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled his newly established “Peace Board” on the global platform on Thursday, with growing interest from numerous countries in participating in the initiative focused initially on the reconstruction of Gaza.
By Thursday morning, around 35 nations had expressed their willingness to be part of the board, including key players in the Middle East like Israel, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. However, traditional allies of the United States, such as European countries and Canada, have been hesitant to commit to joining or paying the membership fee.
Later in the day, President Trump announced the withdrawal of Canada’s invitation to join the board. To secure a permanent position on the board, which Trump is set to lead indefinitely, countries are required to contribute a minimum of $1 billion US, according to a preliminary proposal. Other members will serve three-year terms.
A White House representative informed The Associated Press that approximately 50 countries had been formally invited, but responses from some nations are still pending.
While the final list of participating countries is yet to be finalized, several nations have already confirmed their membership, including the United Arab Emirates, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Morocco, and Vietnam.
On the other hand, France declined Trump’s offer on Thursday, citing discrepancies between the board’s charter and a United Nations resolution aimed at resolving the Gaza conflict. The French Foreign Ministry spokesperson highlighted that certain elements of the charter conflicted with the UN charter.
Slovenia’s Prime Minister Robert Golob also turned down the invitation, expressing concerns that the board could disrupt the broader international order. Meanwhile, Russia, led by President Vladimir Putin, is contemplating the invitation to join and has proposed contributing $1 billion US from Russian assets frozen in the U.S.
President Trump held a signing event for the board in Davos, Switzerland, where he shared insights based on his real estate experiences. He referred to Gaza as a valuable property and linked his peace efforts between Israel and Hamas to the location.
The ceremony coincided with ongoing deadly Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, despite a ceasefire mediated by the U.S. on October 10. Trump has expanded the ceasefire initiative into a broader global conflict resolution effort, prompting caution from some countries due to limited information about the initiative’s future objectives.