A senior British minister has denounced as "absurd" former US President Donald Trump's plan to include Russian leader Vladimir Putin on a proposed board to oversee peace efforts in Gaza. The criticism from Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones marks a significant escalation in a growing diplomatic rift between the UK and the United States.
Transatlantic Row Over Putin's Role
Darren Jones issued his strong rebuke after the Kremlin confirmed that Putin had received an invitation from Trump to join the body intended to supervise the next phase of peace in the Middle East. Moscow stated it is 'studying the details' and will seek clarity on 'all the nuances' in contacts with the US.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Jones was unequivocal. "President Putin is not a man of peace and it would be absurd for him to sit on a Board of Peace," he said. "The idea that PP is a man of peace is clearly not true and for the birds." He added that the UK would not 'under any circumstances' join a body of which Mr Putin is part.
The proposed board is also reported to include other controversial figures. China confirmed on Tuesday that President Xi Jinping has been asked to join, as has Belarus's autocratic leader and Russian ally, Alexander Lukashenko.
Deepening Rift Over Greenland and Chagos
This dispute over the Middle East peace board comes amid a deepening transatlantic rift initially triggered by Trump's heavily criticised demand that the United States be handed Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory. After Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer backed Denmark's position, Trump responded by hitting Britain with new trade tariffs.
In an overnight rant on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, January 20 – the first anniversary of his inauguration – Trump also launched a sudden public broadside against Sir Keir over the Chagos Islands. This was despite having personally approved the deal last year. Britain has agreed to return the Chagos archipelago to Mauritius, paying to lease back Diego Garcia – home to a vital UK-US military base – for at least 99 years.
Trump described the Chagos deal as an 'act of GREAT STUPIDITY', writing: "Shockingly, our 'brilliant' Nato Ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia... to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER." He claimed the move demonstrated "total weakness" noticed by China and Russia.
Trump's Provocative Social Media Posts
The former president, who was travelling to Davos for the World Economic Forum, ramped up his rhetoric on acquiring Greenland. In a series of posts, he shared an AI-generated image showing himself and Vice President JD Vance planting a US flag on a snowy landscape with a signpost reading 'Greenland, US territory, est 2026'.
A further post showed a doctored image of Trump meeting European leaders in the White House, with a map that highlighted the US, Canada, and Greenland in the colours of the American flag. This move is likely to spark further diplomatic concerns with Canada.
The UK government's calm approach to Trump's Greenland ambitions in recent weeks now stands in stark contrast to the sharp ministerial criticism over the proposed Gaza peace board, signalling a potentially turbulent phase in UK-US relations.
