In a bold statement at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, US President Donald Trump has claimed that the world is “richer, safer and much more peaceful than it was just one year ago.” This assertion came as Trump hosted the signing ceremony for his new “board of peace” initiative, a body that he has described as “one of the most consequential ever created in the history of the world.”
During the event, Trump repeated his previous claims to have “stopped eight wars,” stating that “most people didn’t know, including me, that some of those wars were going on.” Ministers and heads of government from 19 countries, including Morocco, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia, took to the stage to participate in the signing ceremony.
However, the launch of Trump’s “board of peace” has not been without controversy. The British Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, stated that the UK would not be signing up to the initiative at this time, citing concerns about the broader legal and geopolitical implications of the body, as well as the lack of a clear commitment to peace from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia has not attended the World Economic Forum since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Putin has said that Moscow is still consulting with “strategic partners” before deciding whether to commit to the plan.
Trump’s claims of having “stopped eight wars” and his assertion that the world is now “richer, safer and more peaceful” have also been met with scepticism from some observers. While the details of the “board of peace” and its potential impact remain to be seen, the launch of this new initiative has undoubtedly sparked a lively debate on the state of global affairs and the role of the United States in shaping the international landscape.
