Will Trump's "Board of Peace" divide the world?
Donald Trump has invited numerous countries to join his "Board of Peace", which is not only to deal with the situation in Gaza but would also serve as a permanent body for conflict resolution. The potential participation of leaders such as Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenka is particularly controversial. Europe's commentators are unsparing in their criticism.
Recruiting members through blackmail
Trump's Board of Peace would cement the law of the strongest, warns NRC:
“Although this Board has the appearance of a cooperative body, in reality it is a vehicle for a superpower that wants to call all the shots. For this reason, France has already declined the invitation. Paris is saying no to far-reaching powers for President Trump. Trump responded by threatening to impose a 200 percent import tax on French wine, making it clear that the law of the strongest remains his guiding principle, even in matters of peace. The Netherlands would be wise not to participate. A Board of Peace that recruits its members through blackmail is a farce.”
Promoting the principle of inequality
In a Telegram post picked up by Echo, political scientist Vladimir Pastukhov highlights the fact that participation in the Board of Peace will be subject to a fee:
“After a 150-year hiatus, this is the first bold attempt to bring the idea of wealth qualifications back into the politics of developed countries. ... If this trick succeeds, this idea will begin its triumphant march across the globe. The domestic politics of Western and later also non-Western societies will develop towards open oligarchic rule, with a division between first- and second-class citizens, as well as official, legal non-citizens. ... The circus will of course move on sooner or later, but the trends will remain.”
We don't need a global ruler
Trump's idea of a Board of Peace is completely absurd, Politiken puts in:
“Donald Trump, however, apparently takes it very seriously. So much so that he became furious when French President Emmanuel Macron declined to participate in the body. ... But France is right. The UN has serious shortcomings and weaknesses - not least the structure of the Security Council with its five permanent members and their veto rights. But replacing it with a Board of Peace in which Donald Trump sits for life as a kind of global ruler with personal veto rights is absolutely unacceptable.”
Not everyone is enthusiastic
Trump's latest initiative is also being met with scepticism, La Stampa concludes:
“While the leaders of many countries seeking recognition on the international stage rushed to accept the US invitation - for instance Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama - other high-ranking figures are hesitant. ... Among those invited to 'build a solid peace' are figures such as North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, Lukashenka and Putin, not to mention other less than democratic politicians such as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. While politicians close to Trump, such as Argentina's Javier Milei and Hungary's Viktor Orbán, have already given their approval, traditional US allies such as London are taking their time.”
Wealth would decide everything
For Polityka, Trump's Board of Peace represents a dystopian perspective:
“There can be no doubt, however, that Trump ultimately wants to destroy post-war multilateralism by creating a private and commercial alternative to the entire structure of the United Nations, including the Security Council. ... At the head of such a system, which would ultimately probably encompass the entire world, would be Trump, the king-CEO and emperor-billionaire, who would decide the fate of weaker states or territories. ... He would be surrounded by a supervisory board made up of equally wealthy individuals whose sole purpose would be to confirm his ideas.”
This won't last long
Trump is certainly not pursuing peace with this initiative, says taz:
“What he is really interested in is - surprise, surprise - destroying the old world order, including the UN, which has long been a thorn in his side, and building a new one. Under his absolute leadership. In this Board of Peace, the chairperson – Trump, of course – will have the final say. He will also decide which states can become members and which remain members. ... The most likely scenario is that if it is ever established, the Board will crumble on its own. Because ultimately, the countries that actually join will have little in common, and a world order held together solely by the ego of its founder cannot last. At least, one would hope not.”
Forum for US global domination
Trump is seeking to consolidate his international influence beyond his time as US president, explains El País:
“To participate permanently you have to pay a kind of membership fee of one billion dollars. Those who do not accept, as France and Norway have already indicated, must expect the usual consequences of snubbing Trump: customs duties of 200 percent on French wines and champagne, for example. ... Trump's renewable term on the Board ends in 2030, when he will no longer be in the White House. ... This suggests that the initiative will be used as a platform for perpetuating the influence of the Trump brand in international affairs. The so-called Board of Peace is a private, fee-based substitute for existing international institutions at the service of a single man with the declared goal of world domination.”
All about weakening the UN
This is a serious issue, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung stresses:
“Originally, the Board of Peace was to be created to accompany the peace process in the Gaza Strip. But the preamble to the statute leaves no doubt that Trump's aim is to weaken the United Nations by creating a parallel organisation. This could further undermine the already fragile international order, even if Trump's Board of Peace is rejected by the powers that matter. Which is quite likely: Russia and China are unlikely to be willing to submit to Trump. And the Europeans should also respond with a firm 'no'.”
War of aggression not a disqualifying factor
Journalist Vitaly Portnykov expresses outrage on 24tv.ua:
“Despite all Putin's crimes and his obvious refusal to end the war in Ukraine, even under pressure from the White House, Trump continues to see the Kremlin leader as a partner in international affairs. Even now, after four years of brutal war, Putin has been invited to join the Board of Peace, whose task is supposed to be to secure peace, not continue wars. This is all one needs to know about the morals of those who establish such institutions and govern the largest democratic state in the modern world today.”