Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has stated the UK will not yet be signing up to US President Donald Trump's proposed Board of Peace over concerns about Russian leader Vladimir Putin's possible participation.
Cooper told the BBC that the UK had been invited to join the board but won't be one of the signatories today at a planned ceremony at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The foreign secretary described the board as a legal treaty that raises much broader issues than the initiative's initial focus on ending the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
The charter proposed by the White House does not mention the Palestinian territory and seems designed to replace some functions of the United Nations.
Countries including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and Israel have agreed to join the board, with President Trump announcing that Putin accepted an invitation to participate.
However, Putin has not confirmed this and previously stated that Russia was still studying the invitation. Speaking from Davos, Cooper stressed the UK's strong support for Trump's 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza, indicating a willingness to engage in further phases of the peace process.
Cooper added, We won't be one of the signatories today because this is a legal treaty that raises much broader issues. We also have concerns about President Putin being part of something that's talking about peace when we've still not seen any signs from Putin that there will be commitment to peace in Ukraine. She called for pressure on Putin to commit to peace negotiations.
Diplomatic relations between the US and UK have faced challenges, particularly following Trump's trade threats related to Greenland, which he later backed down on. Cooper welcomed this development while expressing ongoing concerns about Putin's role in the planned board.
Even as talks to end the war in Ukraine continue, President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are scheduled to meet in Davos, following Trump's assertion that a deal between Putin and Zelensky is imminent.
The Board of Peace was initially unveiled by the White House as part of an effort to rebuild Gaza and establish its governance. However, the leaked founding charter indicates that the board's aims extend significantly beyond that, including the promotion of stability and peace in conflict-affected areas globally.
