The Kremlin has stated that Vladimir Putin has been invited to join Donald Trump’s “board of peace,” established last week with the aim of overseeing a ceasefire in Gaza.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that Russia is seeking to “clarify all the nuances” of the offer with Washington before responding.
This invitation comes as Putin shows no signs of ending his invasion of Ukraine, a conflict that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and included atrocities against civilians by Russian forces. The Russian president has repeatedly rejected ceasefire proposals based on the current front lines.
The Kremlin also mentioned on Monday that Putin’s special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, will attend the World Economic Forum in Davos this week and meet with members of the U.S. delegation. It remains unclear whether these meetings will involve discussions about the Gaza board.
The invitation to Putin, which has not yet been confirmed by Washington, raises further questions about the board’s intended purpose. Originally part of Trump’s ceasefire proposals for the Gaza war, the board was meant to oversee the transition to lasting peace in the region and supervise a committee of Palestinian experts, also announced last week, who would handle Gaza’s day-to-day administration. This vaguely outlined plan was endorsed in a UN Security Council resolution in November.
The initial appointments to the board, announced on Friday, include Trump himself as chair, along with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, current U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s troubleshooting envoy and property developer Steve Witkoff, the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and World Bank President Ajay Banga.
Over the weekend, it emerged that Trump also sent invitations to the leaders of several other countries, including Argentina, Paraguay, Turkey, Egypt, Canada, and Thailand. Belarus announced that its leader, Alexander Lukashenko, had been invited and welcomed the offer. The invitation letters included a “charter” stating that the board would seek to “solidify peace in the Middle East” and “embark on a bold new approach to resolving global conflict.”
The charter describes the board as “an international organization that seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict.” It adds that the board should have “the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed,” a likely criticism of the UN.
Including Putin in a global body intended to oversee peace worldwide would reinforce long-standing suspicions that Trump strongly favors Putin in his approach to the Ukraine conflict.
While apparently inviting friendly leaders to join the board, Trump also sent a letter to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre over the weekend, stating, “considering your country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace.”
Trump has been increasing pressure on Denmark and other European countries to accept his plans to take over Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, and has imposed punitive measures on European nations that have most strongly objected to his proposal.
The UK is among the targeted countries, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the tariffs as “completely wrong” on Monday, reiterating that “any decision on Greenland belongs to the people of Greenland and Denmark alone.” However, Starmer did not commit to imposing retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. and downplayed the likelihood of Trump actually following through with his plans.Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Peskov suggested that a U.S. takeover of Greenland would secure Trump’s place in history. “Here, perhaps, we can set aside whether this is good or bad, or whether it complies with international law,” Peskov said, adding that it would “certainly go down in history.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the reported invitation for President Putin to join a Gaza peace board proposed by Donald Trump
Beginner Factual Questions
1 What is this peace board thats being talked about
Its a proposed advisory group reportedly suggested by former US President Donald Trump to help broker a peace deal for the Gaza conflict The exact details members and authority of such a board are not yet defined
2 Is this an official peace plan or just an idea
As of now it appears to be a proposal or idea floated by Donald Trump who is currently a presidential candidate It is not an official policy or formal plan from any government or international body like the United Nations
3 Did the Kremlin really say Putin was invited
Yes Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to reporters that an invitation for President Putin to participate in such a board had been received and that they viewed it positively in general He noted the details would need to be studied
4 Who exactly invited Putin
According to the Kremlin the invitation came from Donald Trump Its important to note that this is a communication between a political candidate and a foreign leader not a statetostate diplomatic channel
5 Has Putin accepted the invitation
Not officially The Kremlin said they view the idea positively but have not confirmed Putins participation They stated the specifics would need to be clarified first
Advanced Analytical Questions
6 Why would Trump invite Putin given the war in Ukraine
Analysts suggest several reasons to showcase Trumps ability to negotiate with major world leaders to position himself as a unique peacemaker outside current diplomatic frameworks and possibly to leverage Russias influence with regional actors like Iran
7 What are the potential benefits of Putin being on such a board
Proponents might argue that Russia is a major power with ties to key players in the Middle East and could add pressure or offer channels not available to Western mediators It could theoretically bring another influential voice to the table
8 What are the major problems or criticisms with this idea
Critics highlight several issues
Legitimacy Bias Russia is widely viewed as not being a neutral party given its own military actions in Ukraine and its alliances in the Middle East
