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The President of the United States, Donald Trump, withdrew the invitation to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to join the Gaza Peace Board, an international initiative promoted by the White House and presented this week in Davos as an alternative to the United Nations system.
“Dear Prime Minister Carney: I hereby inform you that the Peace Board is withdrawing the invitation for Canada to join what will be the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled,” wrote Trump on his official Truth Social account.
The decision, announced early Thursday morning, comes amid diplomatic tensions between Washington and Ottawa. According to the EFE agency, Carney had expressed reservations about the scope and governance of the new body, requesting assurances regarding its mandate and transparency before formalizing Canada's membership.
Analysts interpret Trump's gesture as an attempt to limit the participation of leaders who could question or influence the decisions of the Board, a project that the U.S. president has described as "the most prestigious group of leaders ever assembled."
A parallel board to the UN
The Peace Board was officially presented at the World Economic Forum in Davos as an international forum aimed at promoting stability and the reconstruction of Gaza, although its mandate, according to preliminary documents, has a global scope. In the days prior, Trump stated that the initiative “could replace the United Nations,” considering that the multilateral organization “has not lived up to its potential.”
The U.S. president indefinitely presides over the founding Executive Board, which includes his son-in-law Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and businessman Steve Witkoff.
The financing model has also generated controversy: countries wishing to secure a permanent seat must contribute one billion dollars, a requirement that several governments have deemed restrictive.
Divided reactions
So far, 35 heads of state and government have agreed to join the new organization, according to data from the White House. Europe has requested more details before formalizing its participation, while Trump stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin "has agreed to join the organization," although the Kremlin has not confirmed this information.
During the launch in Davos, Secretary of State Marco Rubio celebrated the creation of the forum and stated that it represents “the beginning of a new era.” In his speech, he emphasized that “this is a group of leaders committed to action, and the President of the United States is a president of action, of results.”
Rubio, who chairs the executive committee alongside Witkoff and Blair, explained that the goal is to "transform diplomacy into concrete results" and promote "lasting peace and reliable governance in conflict-affected areas."
Trump's decision to exclude Ottawa could reconfigure the internal balance of the Board, which seeks to establish itself as a parallel power space to the United Nations system and a central platform for U.S. foreign policy in the new global landscape.
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