Seven countries including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt have announced they will join U.S. President Donald Trump’s newly created “Board of Peace,” giving fresh momentum to a controversial international body aimed at shaping post-war diplomacy in the Middle East.
In a joint statement, the seven Muslim-majority nations — Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Qatar — said they were endorsing the initiative to help secure a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, support reconstruction efforts, and pursue what they described as a “just and lasting peace.”
Israel also confirmed its participation earlier, making it one of the first countries to formally align with the new body.
The Board of Peace was initially presented as a mechanism to help end the two-year war between Israel and Hamas and oversee Gaza’s reconstruction. However, a leaked draft charter does not explicitly reference Gaza or the Palestinian territories and appears designed to operate independently of — and potentially in place of — traditional United Nations functions.
According to the charter, the board would become an international organization once three countries formally agree to be bound by it. Member states would serve renewable three-year terms, while countries contributing at least $1 billion would qualify for permanent seats.
The document designates Trump as chairman, granting him authority to appoint executive board members and establish or dissolve subsidiary bodies.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin had accepted an invitation to join.
“He was invited, he’s accepted. Many people have accepted,” Trump told reporters.
However, Putin later clarified that Russia was still reviewing the proposal. According to Reuters, the Russian leader said Moscow was prepared to allocate $1 billion from frozen Russian assets and described the board as mainly relevant to the Middle East.
Several countries have already signed up, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Morocco, and Vietnam.
Canada and the United Kingdom are among nations reported to have received invitations but have yet to publicly respond.
The Vatican confirmed that Pope Leo has also been invited. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin told reporters the pope would need time to decide whether to participate.
Slovenia’s Prime Minister Robert Golob, however, said he declined the invitation, warning that the body “dangerously interferes with the broader international order.”
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Last Friday, the White House named seven founding members of the Executive Board, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Former UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov was appointed as the board’s representative in Gaza during the second phase of the plan, which focuses on reconstruction and demilitarization. That phase would be authorized by a UN Security Council resolution extending through the end of 2027.
As Trump’s Board of Peace gains members, its role in reshaping Middle East diplomacy — and potentially sidelining established international mechanisms — is likely to intensify debate among world leaders.
