UK will not take part in Thursday’s signing ceremony for US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” in Davos, foreign minister Yvette Cooper said on Wednesday.
Trump is hosting the ceremony in Davos for the founding charter of the proposed body aimed at resolving international conflicts. Permanent membership of the board carries a price tag of $1 billion.
“There’s a huge amount of work to do, we won’t be one of the signatories today,” Cooper told BBC television from the Swiss mountain town.
She said the UK had concerns about the inclusion of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose forces invaded Ukraine in 2022 and are still fighting there.
“Because this is about a legal treaty that raises much broader issues, and we do also have concerns about President Putin being part of something which is talking about peace, when we have still not seen any signs from Putin that there will be a commitment to peace in Ukraine,” Cooper added.
Invitations had earlier been sent to dozens of world leaders to join the grouping, which has so far not been clearly defined.
The board was originally intended to oversee Gaza’s rebuilding, but its charter does not appear to limit its role to the territory and suggests a broader remit. Some US allies, including France, have raised concerns that it could rival the United Nations.
Trump said on Wednesday that Putin had agreed to join the board, although the Kremlin has said it is still studying the invitation.
