Trump Withdraws Canada’s Invitation to His Proposed Global 'Board of Peace'

Donald Trump has withdrawn an invitation for Canada to take part in his proposed global “board of peace”, an initiative he unveiled as a new mechanism for resolving international conflicts.

In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump addressed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney directly, stating that the invitation for Canada to join what he described as “the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled” was being revoked. The message made clear that Canada would no longer be considered for participation in the initiative.

Trump first presented the idea of the “board of peace” during the World Economic Forum in Davos, portraying it as one of the most significant international bodies in history. He said the structure would be chaired by him and initially framed it as a temporary body tasked with overseeing governance and reconstruction efforts in Gaza.

According to Trump, countries seeking permanent membership would be required to contribute USD 1 billion each, an amount roughly equivalent to about EUR 920 million or approximately BGN 1.8 billion. This funding requirement became a central point of contention for several potential participants.

While many leaders from liberal democracies declined to engage with the initiative from the outset, Canada had initially signaled openness. Ahead of the Davos meeting, Carney said Canada had accepted the idea in principle, but stressed that officials had not yet reviewed the details, including how the body would function and how it would be financed. He noted that Canada wanted any financial commitments to have “maximum impact”.

Shortly afterward, Canada’s Finance Minister François Philippe Champagne clarified that Ottawa did not intend to pay the USD 1 billion contribution required for a permanent seat. He also pointed out that the board had first been described as temporary, adding to Canadian concerns about its structure and purpose.

Tensions between Trump and Carney became more visible in Davos. In a speech on Tuesday, the Canadian prime minister spoke of a “rupture” in the previously rules based global order, attributing it to Trump’s confrontational approach. Trump responded the following day, saying in his own address that “Canada lives because of the United States” and warned Carney to remember that when making public statements. Carney replied on Thursday that Canada does not survive because of the US, but prospers because of its own national strength.

Neither the Canadian prime minister’s office nor the White House immediately commented on Trump’s decision when asked by Reuters on Thursday evening.

Speaking later in Switzerland, Trump said that once the board is fully established, it would be able to act broadly and would do so in cooperation with the United Nations. The creation of the board has already been referenced in a UN Security Council resolution linked to Trump’s Gaza peace plan. UN spokesperson Rolando Gomez said that any UN engagement would be limited strictly to that framework.

Countries listed as members of the board include Bulgaria, Argentina, Bahrain, Morocco, Pakistan and Turkey. Other close US allies, among them the United Kingdom, France and Italy, have indicated that they do not plan to join the initiative at this stage.