Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced that the UK will not be joining Donald Trump’s “board of peace” initiative on Thursday, citing concerns over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s involvement. The board was established last week with the stated aim of overseeing a ceasefire and reconstruction efforts in Gaza, but has been criticised as a Trumpian alternative to the United Nations.
In an interview with BBC Breakfast, Cooper said there is “a huge amount of work to do” and that the UK “won’t be one of the signatories today.” She expressed concerns about the legal treaty proposed by the White House, as well as Putin’s participation, given the lack of commitment to peace in Ukraine.
“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. And to be honest, that is also what we should be talking about,” Cooper stated.
The Kremlin announced on Monday that Putin had been invited to join the Trump-led initiative. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, the US president said the Russian leader had accepted the invitation, though the Kremlin later said it was still seeking to “clarify all the nuances” of the offer before responding.
The initial appointments to the “board of peace” included Trump as chair, along with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and other figures. Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and Israel have indicated they will become members of the board.
As talks continue to end the war in Ukraine, Trump is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Davos on Thursday. In a rambling speech on Wednesday, the US president said the two leaders are “at a point now where they can come together [with Vladimir Putin] and get a deal done … And if they don’t, they are stupid, that goes for both of them.”
The UK’s decision to abstain from Trump’s “board of peace” reflects concerns about the involvement of Russia, which has not shown a clear commitment to peace in Ukraine. The government has stated it will continue to participate in international discussions, including with its allies, on the path forward.
