Skip to main content

Who’s on Trump’s Board of Peace and who has said no

JERUSALEM (AP) — More than 20 countries have said they will join U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, while a few European nations have declined their invitations. Many have not yet responded to Trump’s invites.

Chaired by Trump, the board was originally envisioned as a small group of world leaders overseeing the Gaza ceasefire plan. But the Trump administration’s ambitions have expanded, with Trump extending invitations to dozens of nations and hinting at the board’s future role as conflict mediator. That appears to pose a challenge to the United Nations and its most powerful body, the 15-member Security Council.

Trump last week told reporters “we’re going to have, I think, over 50” countries join.

Here is a list by The Associated Press with countries that say they are joining the board, those that say they are not joining so far and the undecided.

Countries that say they will join

— Argentina

— Albania

— Armenia

— Azerbaijan

— Bahrain

— Belarus

— Bulgaria

— Cambodia

— Egypt

— El Salvador

— Hungary

— Indonesia

— Jordan

— Kazakhstan

— Kuwait

— Kosovo

— Morocco

— Mongolia

— Pakistan

— Paraguay

— Qatar

— Saudi Arabia

— Turkey

— United Arab Emirates

— Uzbekistan

— Vietnam

Countries that will not join, at least for now

— Canada: Trump revoked Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s invitation

— France

— Germany

— Greece

— Italy

— Norway

— Slovenia

— Sweden

— The United Kingdom

— Ukraine

Countries invited but noncommittal:

— China

— Croatia

— Cyprus

— India

— The European Union’s executive arm

— Russia

— Singapore

Beijing bans 4 New Zealand lawmakers from entering China because they visited Taiwan

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Beijing banned four New Zealand lawmakers from traveling to China for a year and demanded they apologize because they visited Taiwan on a parliamentary trip, according to a message from the Chinese embassy conveyed via parliamentary officials and shown to The Associated Press on Thursday. China has hit lawmakers from other countries with sanctions related to contact with Taiwan before, but it's the first time for New Zealand parliamentarians, the government in Wellington said. Beijing has been increasing pressure in recent years on the democratically governed island that it claims as its own territory. Two lawmakers reached by the AP on Thursday rejected the demand for an apology, while the other two could not be immediately reached. New Zealand's government said it would express concern about the travel bans to Beijing. The elected officials visited Taipei in May, as New Zealand parliamentarians have done “for decades,” a spokesperson for Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement.
Read Next Story