Over 20 countries join Trump's Board of Peace, several European states decline

JERUSALEM: More than 20 countries have said they will join US 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 envisaged as a small group of world leaders overseeing the Gaza ceasefire plan. The Trump administration’s ambitions have since expanded, with Trump extending invitations to dozens of nations and hinting at the board’s future role as a 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 are going to have, I think, over 50” countries join.

The Associated Press compiled the following list of countries that say they are joining the board, those that say they are not joining so far, and those that are undecided.

Countries that say they will join
— Argentina  
— Albania  
— Armenia  
— Azerbaijan  
— Bahrain  
— Belarus  
— Bulgaria  
— Cambodia  
— Egypt  
— Hungary  
— Indonesia  
— Jordan  
— Kazakhstan  
— 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 non‑committal
— China  
— Croatia  
— Cyprus  
— India  
— The European Union’s executive arm  
— Russia  
— Singapore

(With inputs from RSS/AP)