US President Donald Trump will show off his new “Board of Peace” at Davos on Thursday — burnishing his claim to be a peacemaker a day after backing off his own threats against Greenland. Trump will host a signing ceremony for the founding charter of his body for resolving international conflicts, which has a $1 billion price tag for permanent membership. That membership has however proved controversial, with the inclusion of leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin, who invaded Ukraine four years ago.
Trump said Putin had agreed to join, while the Russian leader said he was still studying the invite. Other members include Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hungary’s Viktor Orban, while Pope Leo XVI has also been sent an invitation. “This is the greatest board ever assembled,” Trump, who is the chairman of the board, told reporters including AFP on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort.
Yeah, I have some controversial people on it but these are people who get the job done, these are people who have tremendous influence. Originally meant to oversee the rebuilding of Gaza after the war between Hamas and Israel, the board’s charter does not limit its role to the Strip, and has sparked concerns that Trump wants it to rival the United Nations. “It’s going to get a lot of work done that the United Nations should have done,” added Trump.
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Key US allies including France and Britain have expressed skepticism, with the UK saying Thursday it would not attend the ceremony. But others have signed up, particularly in the Middle East where Trump-friendly Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt have agreed to join.
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