Russia, India invited to join Trump’s Gaza ‘Board of Peace’

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin has been invited to join United States President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” aimed at resolving conflicts globally and oversee governance and reconstruction in Gaza, the Kremlin said on Monday.

India was also earlier invited to join the board.

Moscow for years tried to balance relations with all major players in the Middle East, including Israel and the Palestinians.

But since the Israel-Hamas conflict and Russia’s assault on Ukraine, Putin has moved away from Israel, boosting ties with its foes like Iran.

Moscow has also sought closer relationships with the Gulf states amid growing Western isolation.

“President Putin also received an invitation to join this Board of Peace,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, including AFP.

Russia was seeking to “clarify all the nuances” of the offer with Washington, he said, without adding if the Kremlin chief as inclined to join.

The White House has reached out to various figures around the world to sit on the so-called “Board of Peace”, chaired by the US president himself.

Trump has also invited India to join the board, according to a White House statement shared on X by Washington’s ambassador to New Delhi, Sergio Gor.

It remains unclear whether India will accept the invitation. The Indian foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The invitation comes at a time when ties between New Delhi and Washington are under strain following the failure to secure a trade agreement that would reduce tariffs on Indian exports to the United States, which currently face levies of up to 50% — among the highest globally.

Trump has extended invitations to around 60 countries to join the initiative, including Pakistan. Islamabad said earlier on Sunday it would engage in international efforts aimed at peace and security in Gaza.

Pakistan’s invitation reflects its sustained diplomatic engagement on Palestine at multilateral forums, including the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, where Islamabad has consistently called for an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian access and a two-state solution.

Pakistan’s inclusion signals international recognition of its credibility on the issue, even as Islamabad weighs the political, legal and financial implications of formally joining the US-led framework.

Separately, a draft charter of the initiative seen by Reuters reveals that member states seeking to extend their participation beyond three years would be required to contribute $1 billion in cash.

According to the document, first reported by Bloomberg News, each member state would initially serve a term of no more than three years from the charter’s entry into force, subject to renewal by the board’s chairman.

However, the three-year limit would not apply to countries that contribute more than $1b within the first year of the charter’s implementation.