President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia will investigate US President Donald Trump’s invitation to join his “Gaza Peace Committee”.
“The Russian Foreign Ministry has been tasked with studying the documents sent to us and consulting on this topic with our strategic partners,” Putin said during a televised cabinet meeting, according to AFP.
He added, “Only then will we be able to respond to the invitation.”
Trump has invited a number of world leaders to join his Board of Peace initiative to address global conflicts, although diplomats warn it could undermine United Nations efforts. Some of America’s traditional allies reacted cautiously, with several rejecting the offer, while other countries, including those with historically strained relations with Washington such as Belarus, accepted it.
Trump’s “Prada of Peace”
Trump first proposed the Peace Council last September when he unveiled his plan to end the war in Gaza. He later clarified that the council’s remit would extend beyond Gaza to deal with other global conflicts.
The US president will serve as the inaugural chairman of the board, which will be responsible for promoting peace around the world and working to resolve conflicts, according to a copy of the draft charter seen by Reuters.
The charter states that member states would serve three-year terms unless they each contributed $1 billion to fund the board’s activities, which would ensure their permanent membership.
The White House named US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner as members of the initiative’s founding executive board.
Meanwhile, several countries have accepted invitations to Trump’s peace council. These include Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Morocco, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
Several nations have chosen not to join the board, at least for now. According to the AP agency, these are France, Norway, Slovenia and Sweden.
Several invited countries remain non-committed to participating in the initiative. This group includes Britain, China, Croatia, Germany, Italy, the executive branch of the European Union, Paraguay, Russia, Singapore and Ukraine.
