US President Donald Trump has expressed his desire to have China and Russia in the Peace Council. His statement came after Thursday’s inaugural council meeting.
Trump said: “A lot of countries are going through the process of joining the board… I’d like to have China and Russia on the board; they’ve been invited.”
Both Russia and China have received invitations from Trump but have not announced any decision to join the board.
Trump boasts of “good relations” with Xi Jinping
During his speech at the Peace Council meeting, Trump boasted of his “good relationship” with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“I have a very good relationship with President Xi Jinping. I am going to China in April. It will be wild. The last time I was in China, President Xi treated me so well,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
“He gave me a demonstration. I’ve never seen so many soldiers at the same height, exactly the same height. I said if they took their helmets off you could play pool on the top of their heads. And it was pretty amazing,” Trump added.
“Make sure the United Nations is viable”
Trump also said the newly created “Committee for Peace” would “almost oversee” the United Nations to ensure it was functioning effectively.
“The Peace Committee will oversee the United Nations and make sure it functions properly,” Trump said during the meeting, adding that the US would help improve the UN’s facilities and financial stability.
“We will make sure that his facilities are good. They need help and they need help in terms of money. We will help them in terms of money and ensure the viability of the United Nations,” he said.
The US will contribute $10 billion
During the meeting, Trump also announced that the United States would contribute $10 billion to the Peace Council to support its mission to resolve global conflicts.
He reportedly said the council would initially focus on reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip.
According to Trump, the Peace Council is aimed at strengthening international conflict resolution mechanisms and strengthening cooperation in solving global crises.
Delegations from more than 40 countries attended the meeting, but key members of the UN Security Council, including France, Britain, Russia and China, did not join. While the European Union has decided not to take a seat on the board, as reported by Al Jazeera.
President Trump first proposed the Peace Council in September as part of the second phase of a US-brokered 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan.
The board will oversee a “founding executive council” made up of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, according to CNN.