DAVOS/MOSCOW: President Trump tells LBC that Vladimir Putin has accepted his invitation to the “Board of Peace” while Russia calmly points out it is still considering the offer.
Speaking in Davos, Trump told journalists that Putin was one of the world leaders who accepted the invitation. “He was invited, he’s accepted. Many people have accepted,” Trump told the journalists, sidestepping questions on whether he would offer a platform for persons with dubious democratic credentials.
When asked about allegations that his censorship board singles out contentious figures, Trump admitted to these allegations but justified his move: “Some of them are contentious. However, if I put all babies on the board, that would not really make a difference.”
However, in Moscow, things were a bit more measured. During a live cabinet meeting, Russian leader Vladimir Putin announced that he instructed his country’s foreign ministry to review the documents submitted by Washington before any decision is reached. “Only then can we respond to the invitation,” he said.
Putin has also reacted to reports that the governing body would demand that members kick in $1 billion in order to be part of the group. He indicated that they could use frozen Russian assets that the USA have been holding under former administrations in order to raise this amount. These could be used to build areas that have been destroyed by the conflict in Ukraine once a peace deal has been arrived at.
The Board of Peace, a project personally promoted by Trump himself, seems to be a project that was originally intended to oversee the rebuilding of the Gaza strip when a ceasefire had been established. But the founding charter of the Board of Peace seems to indicate that its aims and goals are much more far-reaching.
