Trump launches $1 billion 'Board of Peace' at Davos with controversial invite list

US President Donald Trump launched his new 'Board of Peace' at Davos on Thursday, January 22, 2026, with a signing ceremony for a body requiring a $1 billion membership fee. Seventeen countries' leaders signed the founding charter, including Trump allies like Hungary's Viktor Orban and Argentina's Javier Milei, plus officials from Pakistan, Paraguay, Kosovo, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an ICC arrest warrant over Gaza, said he will join but was absent from the ceremony.

The board was originally meant to oversee Gaza peace after the Hamas-Israel war, but its charter envisions a wider role resolving international conflicts, raising concerns it could rival the UN. Trump says it will work 'in conjunction' with the UN, though he invited Russian President Vladimir Putin—who's being accused of starting the Ukraine invasion four years ago. Putin said he's 'still studying' the invite, while Trump claims Putin agreed to join. This has caused particular concern in Ukraine, as Trump is scheduled to meet President Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos after the ceremony.

Key US allies including France and Britain snubbed the signing, with the UK saying it would not attend. The $1 billion fee for permanent members has drawn criticism that it could become a 'pay to play' version of the UN Security Council. Meanwhile, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff is heading to Moscow to meet Putin later Thursday, claiming talks on ending the Ukraine war have made 'a lot of progress' and are down to 'one issue' that's 'solvable.'

SOURCE: https://www.channelstv.com/2026/01/22/trump-launches-board-of-peace-at-davos/