U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled his new “Peace Board” on the global stage on Thursday, with a growing number of countries responding to his call to participate in the initiative focused on Gaza’s reconstruction.
Currently, around 35 nations have enlisted 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 U.S., mainly European nations and Canada, have shown reluctance in committing to the program or its associated membership dues.
In a surprising turn, Trump announced on Thursday that he was retracting Canada’s invitation to join the board. To secure a permanent seat on the board, under Trump’s anticipated lifelong chairmanship, countries are required to contribute a minimum of $1 billion US, as outlined in a preliminary draft. Members will serve three-year terms.
While approximately 50 countries have been formally invited, some are yet to respond, according to a White House official. The final list of participating countries remains pending, with some nations accepting, rejecting, or still deliberating on the invitation.
Among the first nations to publicly join the board were the United Arab Emirates, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Morocco, and Vietnam. Conversely, France recently declined the offer, citing discrepancies between the board’s charter and a United Nations resolution addressing the Gaza conflict. Slovenia’s Prime Minister Robert Golob also declined, expressing concerns about the board’s interference with the international order.
On the other hand, Moscow is contemplating joining the initiative, with Russian President Vladimir Putin suggesting allocating $1 billion US from frozen Russian assets in the U.S. to the board.
Trump hosted a signing event for the board in Davos, Switzerland, emphasizing his background in real estate. He described Gaza as a valuable property and linked his peace efforts between Israel and Hamas to its strategic location.
The ceremony took place against the backdrop of ongoing deadly Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, despite a ceasefire brokered by the U.S. on October 10. Trump has expanded the ceasefire into a broader global conflict resolution initiative, which has left some countries hesitant to join due to limited details on its future objectives.