Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Amid speculations that the US President-led 60-nation “Board of Peace” on Gaza, and beyond, may become the first step of Washington to replace the United Nations itself, Donald Trump has revoked Canada’s invitation to join the board.
According to media reports, President Trump withdrew on Thursday an invitation for Canada to join the BoP initiative aimed at resolving global conflicts.
His about-face followed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos, Switzerland, where he openly decried powerful nations using economic integration as weapons and tariffs as leverage.
“Please let this Letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada’s joining, what will be, the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled, at any time,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post directed at PM Carney.
Last week, Carney’s office said he had been invited to serve on the board and planned to accept it.
The Canadian PM received a rare standing ovation in Davos after the speech, in which he urged nations to accept the end of a rules-based global order.
Canada, which recently signed a trade deal with China, can show how “middle powers” might act together to avoid being victimized by American hegemony, he added.
Trump retorted that Canada “lives because of the United States,” and told listeners in Davos that Carney should be grateful for the United States’ previous largesse.
“Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements,” he added, addressing Carney directly. The withdrawal of Canada’s invitation came hours after Trump officially launched the BoP, which was initially meant to cement a Gaza ceasefire, but would now focus on global issues, a la the UN, and may engage in a conflict of interests because the BoP, unlike the UN, is under full control of the White House.
Permanent members must help fund the board with a payment of ISD 1 billion each, Trump said, after Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif also signed the document.
“Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much whatever we want to do,” Trump said. “And we’ll do it in conjunction with the United Nations.
The board’s establishment was endorsed by a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution as part of Trump’s Gaza peace plan, and UN spokesperson Rolando Gomez said on Thursday that UN engagement with the board would only be in that context.
Member nations include Argentina, Bahrain, Morocco, Pakistan and Turkey. Other U.S. allies, such as Britain, France and Italy, have indicated they will not join for now. India is yet to take a decision.