U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday unveiled a new global conflict-resolution body, the “Board of Peace,” at the World Economic Forum in Davos, launching the initiative with a high-profile signing ceremony and a controversial $1 billion membership requirement.
Trump, who chairs the newly created board, appeared on stage alongside leaders and senior officials from 19 countries to sign the founding charter. Describing the participants, he said they were “in most cases very popular leaders, in some cases not so popular.”
Originally conceived as a mechanism to oversee peace in Gaza following the war between Hamas and Israel, the board’s charter outlines a far broader mandate to address international conflicts worldwide.
The expanded scope has raised concerns among diplomats and analysts that the body could rival the United Nations, although Trump insisted it would operate “in conjunction” with the UN.
The board’s structure has drawn sharp criticism, particularly the requirement for permanent members to pay $1 billion to join. Critics have described the model as a “pay-to-play” version of the UN Security Council.
Trump disclosed that he had invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to join the board and claimed the Russian leader had agreed. However, Putin later said he was still studying the proposal. The potential inclusion of Putin has unsettled key U.S. allies, especially as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its fourth year.
France and Britain expressed scepticism about the initiative, with the UK confirming it would not attend the launch ceremony.
Signatories to the charter include close Trump allies such as Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Argentina’s President Javier Milei, as well as representatives from Bahrain, Morocco, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Mongolia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing an International Criminal Court arrest warrant over the Gaza war, has said he will join the board but did not attend the ceremony.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the board’s immediate priority was Gaza. “First and foremost [it is] making sure that this peace deal in Gaza becomes enduring,” he said.
Trump warned that Hamas must disarm under the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire or face destruction.
The launch comes amid Trump’s long-standing frustration over failing to secure a Nobel Peace Prize, despite his claim to have ended eight conflicts during his political career.
Following the ceremony, Trump is scheduled to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos to discuss a possible ceasefire in Ukraine. His special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said negotiations to end the war had made “a lot of progress” and were down to one unresolved issue, though he declined to give details.
Witkoff said he would travel to Moscow later on Thursday to meet Putin before heading to Abu Dhabi for military-to-military talks.
Zelensky has meanwhile expressed concern that Trump’s push to seize Greenland could distract from international focus on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Trump said he had reached a “framework of a future deal” after meeting NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and announced he would waive tariffs on European allies scheduled for February 1.
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