The administration of Donald Trump is demanding a contribution of at least one billion dollars from countries seeking a permanent seat on the newly created “Council of Peace” (Board of Peace). Bloomberg reports this, citing a draft version of the organization’s charter. According to the document, joining the Council is free, but states that contribute more than one billion dollars to its fund during the first year will obtain permanent membership. For other countries, participation will be limited to three years.
Donald Trump will become the first chairman of the Council. He will personally decide which states are invited, approve meeting agendas, determine the time and location of sessions, and validate all decisions taken by vote. Officially, decisions will be made according to the principle “one country — one vote,” but without the chairman’s approval, they will not come into force. In addition, Trump will have the authority to expel members unless this decision is blocked by a two-thirds majority.
The creation of the Council of Peace has been under discussion since the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Trump’s plan envisages that during the second phase of the truce, the administration of Gaza will be handed over to a temporary Palestinian committee accountable to the new international body. According to Bloomberg sources, the funds collected are expected to be directed toward the reconstruction of the region. U.S. officials claim that “almost every dollar” will be used for this purpose.
In the charter, the Council of Peace is described as an “international organization seeking to promote stability and ensure lasting peace in conflict zones.” However, critics of the U.S. president fear that Trump is trying to create an alternative to the United Nations. Several countries, Bloomberg reports, have already spoken out against the project and are preparing a collective response, without specifying details.
On January 16, the White House announced the composition of the executive council responsible for governing Gaza. It includes U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Invitations to join the Council were also sent to Argentine President Javier Milei, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. According to Reuters, invitations were also extended to the leaders of France, Germany, and Australia, while the European Union would be represented by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. In one of the letters, the Council of Peace is described as a “Trump-UN” that “ignores the foundations of the UN Charter.”
In addition, a separate Gaza Executive Board has been established to handle operational management on the ground. It includes Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Qatari diplomat Ali Tavaadi, Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, and several other officials. The de facto head of this structure will be former UN special envoy Nikolay Mladenov.
In Israel, Trump’s plans have been criticized. The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the composition of the executive council was announced without coordination with Tel Aviv and contradicts Israeli policy. Netanyahu instructed the foreign minister to contact the U.S. secretary of state on this issue. The White House rejected these claims. A source cited by Axios said Washington intends to implement the Gaza plan independently, adding that the Israeli prime minister should “focus on Iran.”
According to Axios, Trump plans to officially launch the Council of Peace this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, which will take place from January 19 to 23.
