US President Claims Putin Agrees to Join ‘Board of Peace’

Putin says Russia’s Foreign Ministry has been asked to review Trump’s proposal

Trump Says Putin Agrees to Join ‘Board of Peace’; Kremlin Says Proposal Under Review

DAVOS/MOSCOW: US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had accepted an invitation to join his controversial “Board of Peace,” though the Kremlin said it was still reviewing the proposal.

Speaking to reporters in Davos, Switzerland, Trump said, “He was invited, he’s accepted. Many people have accepted,” referring to a loosely defined group of world leaders. Responding to criticism for engaging non-democratic figures, Trump added that some invitees were “controversial,” but “if I put all babies on the board, it wouldn’t be very much.”

In Moscow, Putin told a cabinet meeting that he had instructed Russia’s Foreign Ministry to study the documents and consult with strategic partners before responding. “It is only after that we’ll be able to reply to the invitation,” he said during the televised meeting.

Putin also suggested that Russia could pay the $1 billion required for permanent membership using assets frozen under the previous US administration. He added that the funds could also be used “to reconstruct the territories damaged by the hostilities, after the conclusion of a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.”

Invitations were reportedly sent to dozens of world leaders, with permanent membership requiring a $1 billion contribution. Although initially intended to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction, the board’s charter does not appear limited to the Strip and seems aimed at rivaling the United Nations, prompting criticism from some US allies, including France.