WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump’s government has asked countries to pay $1 billion for a permanent spot on his “Board of Peace” aimed at resolving conflicts, according to US media reports.
The White House has asked various world leaders to sit on the board, chaired by Trump himself, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban and Canada’s Mark Carney.
Member countries — represented on the board by their head of state — would be allowed to join for three years, or longer if they contributed more than $1 billion within the first year, according to Bloomberg, which first reported the sum.
“Each member state shall serve a term of no more than three years from this charter’s entry into force, subject to renewal by the chairman,” stated the board’s draft charter obtained by Bloomberg and other media.
“The three-year membership term shall not apply to member states that contribute more than USD $1,000,000,000 in cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force.”
The board was originally conceived to oversee the rebuilding of Gaza, but its charter, widely cited by US media, does not appear to limit its role to the Palestinian territory.
The White House said there would be a main board, a Palestinian committee of technocrats meant to govern the war-wracked territory, and a second “executive board” that appears designed to have a more advisory role.
“The Board of Peace is an international organisation that seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict,” the charter says.
‘Failed institutions’
The document was sent to dozens of world leaders who were invited to join the board, The Times of Israel reported.
It appears to take a swipe at international institutions such as the United Nations, saying that the board should have “the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed”.
Trump has regularly criticised the United Nations and announced this month that his country will withdraw from 66 global organisations and treaties — roughly half affiliated with the UN.
Membership of the board would be “limited to states invited to participate by the chairman”, according to the full draft charter published by the Times of Israel.
Trump would have the power to remove member states from the board, subject to a veto by two-thirds of members, and choose his replacement should he leave his role as chairman.
The “Board of Peace” began to take shape on Saturday as the leaders of Egypt, Turkey, Argentina and Canada were asked to join.
Trump also named his Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former British prime minister Tony Blair and senior negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff as members.
Israel has objected to the line-up of a “Gaza executive board” to operate under the body, which includes Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi.
Putin invited to join ‘Board of Peace’: Kremlin
Separately, Russia said it was seeking to “clarify all the nuances” of the offer with Washington, without adding if the Kremlin chief was inclined to join.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told AFP in an interview that Putin “also received an invitation to join this Board of Peace”.
Moscow for years tried to balance relations with all major players in the Middle East — including Israel and the Palestinians.
But since the conflict in Gaza 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.
The White House has reached out to various figures around the world, including Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, to sit on the so-called “Board of Peace”, chaired by the US president himself.
Putin has previously praised Trump’s efforts to resolve conflicts.
“He’s really doing a lot to resolve these complex crises, which have lasted for years, even decades,” Putin said last October.
Referring to the situation in the Middle East, Putin said: “If we succeed in achieving everything Donald has strived for, it will be a historic event.”
The assault on Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza have strained Moscow’s traditionally good relations with Israel, home to a large Russian-born community.
The Kremlin has repeatedly criticised Israel’s response to the October 7 attacks and called for restraint.
“The Gaza Strip is experiencing a humanitarian catastrophe in the full sense of the word,” Putin was quoted as saying by the news agency RIA Novosti at a meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas last May.
“Russia, as a friend of the Palestinian people, is trying to provide regular assistance,” the Russian president added.
