Britain will not participate in Thursday’s signing ceremony for US President Donald Trump’s newly proposed “Board of Peace” in Davos, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed.
Trump is set to host the event for the founding charter of the board, a $1 billion initiative aimed at resolving international conflicts through permanent membership.
“There’s a huge amount of work to do, we won’t be one of the signatories today,” Cooper told the BBC from Davos, citing concerns over the inclusion of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin’s forces remain active in Ukraine following the 2022 invasion.
“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, when we have still not seen any signs from Putin that there will be a commitment to peace in Ukraine,” she added.
The board, initially intended to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction, has a charter that appears to extend beyond the region and could potentially rival the United Nations, drawing criticism from several US allies, including France.
Trump recently announced that Putin had agreed to join the initiative, though the Kremlin has stated it is still reviewing the invitation.
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