President Trump has invited leaders from 58 countries to serve on his Board of Peace, an oversight body initially focused on Gaza reconstruction but designed to address broader conflicts worldwide. The White House confirmed the invitations went out over the weekend, with a signing ceremony planned for Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The board, chaired by Trump for life, will start by supervising the next phase of the Gaza peace plan, including demilitarization, technocratic governance, and rebuilding, before expanding its mandate to other global issues. A senior US official told reporters the board aims to create a bold new approach to resolving disputes, bypassing traditional forums like the United Nations Security Council, which Trump has criticized as ineffective.
The list of invitees includes a mix of allies, rivals, and neutral players such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and leaders from Argentina, Belarus, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Morocco, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, and others.
Several have already accepted, including Hungary's Viktor Orban, Vietnam's To Lam, Kazakhstan's Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Argentina's Javier Milei, Morocco's King Mohammed VI, and Netanyahu, who agreed despite initial skepticism about the board's role in Gaza. Putin received an invitation, and the Kremlin said it is studying the details while seeking clarity on all nuances.
The European Union's executive arm also received an invite, but responses from major EU nations like France, Germany, and Italy have been cautious, with officials questioning whether the board should or even could undermine the UN.
Trump's invitation letters emphasized the board's role in embarking on a bold new approach to resolving conflicts, starting with Gaza, where the US-brokered 20-point ceasefire plan has moved to phase two.
US envoy Steve Witkoff announced the shift to demilitarization and reconstruction with former Palestinian Authority official Abdel Hamid Shaath heading a 15-person technocratic committee to manage day-to-day affairs in Gaza. Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said the group will support transferring governmental functions to the committee, including security.
Israel called the committee a declaratory move and focused on the return of the last hostage's body still in Gaza. Trump wants the board to raise funds for rebuilding with a one-billion-dollar contribution, securing permanent membership, while three-year terms require no payment.
Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent addressed European concerns about Trump's threatened tariffs linked to the push for "control" of Greenland. Speaking at Davos, Bessent urged leaders to sit back, take a deep breath, and refrain from retaliation. He said this is the same kind of hysteria we heard on April 2; there was a panic, and what I am urging everyone here is sit back, take a deep breath, and let things play out.
The advice came as Trump announced a 10% tariff on imports from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland, starting in February, rising to 25% by June if no deal is reached on Greenland. Bessent played down the risks, rejecting the idea that Europe might sell off US Treasuries in response, saying it defies logic and calling Denmark's investments irrelevant.
The two efforts connect in Trump's foreign policy playbook, where the Peace Council gathers leaders for direct action on conflicts while economic tools like tariffs keep negotiations moving. Bessent made clear that the US will not back down on its interests and that European complaints about tariffs are overblown, with NATO's dependence on American strength leaving allies little room to push back without risk.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the tariffs a mistake, questioning Trump's trustworthiness, while French President Emmanuel Macron hinted at retaliatory measures using trade tools.
British officials pushed back on related issues, such as ceding the Chagos Archipelago. Despite the friction, Trump's team sees the council as a way to centralize peace efforts under American leadership, with early acceptances showing momentum.
We'll soon see who actually signs up and which conflicts the board tries to tackle next. Bessent is trying to keep a lid on a trade war, but the real story is whether Trump's plan for global order gets any real traction.