Britain will not sign up to Donald Trump’s “board of peace” on Thursday, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has confirmed, citing reservations about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s involvement. The board, announced by Trump last week, aims to oversee a ceasefire and reconstruction in Gaza, but critics view it as a rival to the United Nations.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Cooper said the UK strongly supports Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza but will not become a signatory to the legal treaty underpinning the board. “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,” she explained.
Cooper noted that Putin has shown no willingness to commit to peace in Ukraine, adding: “That’s where the pressure needs to be now.” The Kremlin announced on Monday that Putin had been invited to join the board, with a spokesperson saying Russia is seeking to “clarify all the nuances” before responding.
The board’s founding executive board includes Trump as chair, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and World Bank President Ajay Banga. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and Israel have agreed to join. Trump is due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Davos on Thursday, where he claimed a deal on Ukraine is “reasonably close.”
