Saudi, Qatar and others join 'Board of Peace;' Europe divided
- Last updated: January 22, 2026 | 11:33 ..
Saudi Arabia and seven Muslim-majority countries including Gaza mediators Qatar and Turkey have agreed to join US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace,” the Saudi foreign ministry said on Wednesday.
In a joint statement, Riyadh announced the “shared decision” of the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates to join the body to be chaired by Trump, saying they supported his “peace efforts” on the Gaza conflict.
However, divisions emerged on Wednesday over Trump’s Board of Peace with some western European countries declining to join while others remained noncommittal.
The development underscores European concerns over the controversial and ambitious project — which some say seeks to replace the United Nations’ role in mediating global conflicts — as Trump arrived in Davos, Switzerland, where he was expected to provide more details about his vision for the board.
A White House official said about 30 countries were expected to join the board, without providing details. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal plans not yet made public, said about 50 countries had been invited to join the organisation.
Norway and Sweden said on Wednesday they won’t accept their invitations, after France also said no - stressing that while it supports the Gaza peace plan, it was concerned the board could seek to replace the UN as the main venue for resolving conflicts.
Chaired by Trump, the board was originally envisaged as a small group of world leaders overseeing the Gaza ceasefire plan. But the Trump administration’s ambitions have since expanded into a more sprawling concept, with Trump extending invitations to dozens of nations and hinting at the board’s role as conflict mediator.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, said he’s agreed to join the board - a departure from an earlier stance when his office criticised the makeup of the board’s committee tasked with overseeing Gaza.
Months into the ceasefire, Gaza’s more than 2 million Palestinians continue to suffer the humanitarian crisis unleashed by over two years of war. Israeli fire in the enclave on Wednesday left 11 Palestinians dead, health officials said.
Norway’s state secretary, Kristoffer Thoner, said Norway would not join the board because it “raises a number of questions that requires further dialogue with the United States.” He also said Norway would not attend the signing ceremony in Davos.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on the sidelines of Davos that his country wouldn’t sign up for the board as the text currently stands, Swedish news agency TT reported, though Sweden hasn’t formally responded.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Tuesday that France says, “Yes to implementing the peace plan presented by the president of the United States, which we wholeheartedly support, but no to creating an organization as it has been presented, which would replace the United Nations.”
The United Kingdom, the European Union’s executive arm, Canada, Russia, Ukraine and China have also not yet indicated their response to Trump’s invitations.
Parties key to the Gaza ceasefire — Israel and Egypt — said Wednesday they would join the board, as did Bahrain, Kosovo and Azerbaijan.
Meanwhile, Trump said on Wednesday he would not take over Greenland by force, but stuck firmly to his demands for control of the Danish territory during a speech in Davos and hinted at consequences if his ambitions were thwarted.
“People thought I would use force, but I don’t have to use force,” Trump said at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in the Swiss Alpine resort. “I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force,” he added, without mentioning his threat of tariffs.
Trump said he wanted immediate negotiations on a US acquisition of Greenland, which is a Danish territory, and warned: “They have a choice. You can say yes, and we will be very appreciative, or you can so no, and we will remember.”
Agencies