Live: Trump pushes to expand ‘Board of Peace’, challenging UN Security Council

22/01/2026 – 04:53

Putin to meet US envoys as Russia weighs Trump’s Board of Peace

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday he would meet on Thursday with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Putin said during a meeting of Russia’s Security Council that he would discuss the possible use of frozen Russian assets with the US envoys in connection with recovery work in regions affected by the war, and that he would discuss use of the assets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is scheduled to meet the Russian leader on Thursday.

Putin said as well that Russia’s foreign ministry had been instructed to study US President Donald Trump’s invitation to join his proposed Board of Peace and would reply in due course.

Even before any decision on joining the board, Putin said Moscow was ready to provide $1 billion – as required by Trump for long-term membership – from the frozen assets “in view of Russia’s special relations with the Palestinian people”.

22/01/2026 – 04:50

Qatar, UAE join Board of Peace, France and Norway decline

Eight Muslim countries – including Qatar, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates – accepted the invitation on Wednesday to join the Board of Peace, but reaffirmed their commitment in a joint statement to support its original mission aimed at advancing peace and reconstruction in Gaza and the Palestinians’ right to statehood.

France, a veto-wielding member of the Security Council, has said it will not accept Trump’s invitation, while the three other members with vetoes – Russia, China and Britain – are still assessing it.

As of Wednesday, Norway, Sweden and Slovenia had also declined. Slovenia’s main concern was that the board’s mandate is too broad and it could seriously undermine the international order based on the UN Charter.

22/01/2026 – 04:48

Trump’s Board of Peace raises questions over UN relevance

The UN Security Council in November authorised the Board of Peace to serve as a transitional body to oversee a US-brokered ceasefire in the Israel–Hamas war in Gaza, as US President Donald Trump proposed. But in forming the board, he has described its role as a mediator for other global conflicts, a potential rival to the UN Security Council.

Retired US ambassador Robert Wood, who served at the US mission to the United Nations under Republican and Democratic leaders, said if Trump is trying to replace the Security Council with a Board of Peace dealing with issues beyond Gaza, “I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of interest”.

22/01/2026 – 04:41

Welcome to today’s liveblog, where we will be following US President Donald Trump’s remarks at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland.