The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Belarus on Tuesday joined US President Donald Trump’s newly proposed Board of Peace.
The UAE’s foreign ministry said it had accepted an invitation to join the board. It added that the country stood ready to contribute actively to the mission of the Board of Peace, supporting greater cooperation, stability, and prosperity for all, marking Abu Dhabi’s formal alignment with Washington’s new conflict-resolution effort.
Bahrain’s foreign ministry said it had accepted Trump’s invitation to the Board of Peace as a founding member.
Separately, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed an agreement to join the Board of Peace.
A presidential Telegram channel published a video of Lukashenko signing the document, and quoted him as saying he hoped to contribute towards peace in Ukraine.
Trump had originally proposed establishing the Board when he announced his plan last September to end the conflict in Gaza. But an invitation sent to world leaders last week outlines a broad role for the body in ending conflicts globally.
A draft charter sent to about 60 countries by the US administration calls for members to contribute $1 billion in cash if they want their membership to last more than three years, according to the document seen by Reuters.
The inclusion of a ‘charter’ in the invitation letter triggered concerns among some European governments that it could undermine the work of the United Nations, which Trump has accused of not supporting his efforts to end conflicts around the world.
The board would be chaired for life by Trump. Member states would be limited to three-year terms unless they pay $1 billion each to fund the board’s activities and earn permanent membership, the letter states.
“This simply offers permanent membership to partner countries who demonstrate deep commitment to peace, security, and prosperity,” the White House said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik told daily Aftenposten on Tuesday that Norway will not take part in the initiative the way the plan is currently presented.
The Norwegian foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Further, the United Kingdom said it was “concerned” that Trump invited his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to join the Board.
“We are concerned about reports that Putin and Lukashenko could be members of that board,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said, referring also to Putin’s ally, Belarusian President Lukashenko.
“Putin is the aggressor in an illegal war against Ukraine, and he has shown time and time again he is not serious about peace,” the spokesperson added.
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