Britain will not join Donald Trump’s “board of peace” on Thursday, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has said, citing concerns about Russian involvement. She confirmed the UK strongly supports the US president’s 20-point plan for Gaza but will not be a signatory to the proposed legal treaty.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Cooper said: “We won’t be one of the signatories today. Because this is about a legal treaty that raises much broader issues, and we do also have concerns about President Putin being part of something which is talking about peace, when we have still not seen any signs from Putin that there will be a commitment to peace in Ukraine.”
The board, announced last week, aims to oversee a ceasefire and reconstruction in Gaza, though critics view it as an alternative to the UN. The Kremlin confirmed that Vladimir Putin has been invited to join, with Russia seeking to clarify “all the nuances” before responding. First appointees include Tony Blair, Marco Rubio, and Jared Kushner.
Cooper added: “But we will have continuing international discussions including with our allies.” President Trump is due to meet Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, saying the two sides are “reasonably close” to a deal.
