Russia will donate Trump’s Board of Peace $1 billion, says Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia is ready to contribute $1 billion to assist the Palestinian people via US President Donald Trump’s newly established Board of Peace. However, Russia has not yet formally joined the initiative. Putin also stated that the concept of utilizing frozen Russian assets for this funding had previously been discussed with the United States, as reported. “The idea to send money from Russian frozen assets has been discussed with the US earlier,” Putin said. Putin also stated that he had proposed discussions with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas regarding Trump’s peace initiative. He “proposed to Palestine’s Abbas to discuss Trump’s Board of Peace initiative,” Interfax quoted Putin as stating.
On Thursday, Trump officially announced the formation of the Board of Peace. Initially associated with the conclusion of the Gaza war, Trump has subsequently contended that the body ought to assume a broader international role. This prospect has sparked apprehension in certain regions of Europe regarding the possibility of overlap, or even conflict, with the objectives set forth by the United Nations. “This is a very exciting day, long in the making,” Trump stated during the signing ceremony, further noting, “We’ll work with many others, including the United Nations.” Trump has stated that permanent members of the board would be required to contribute $1 billion each.
Late on Wednesday, Russia announced that it was examining the proposal following Trump’s statement that Moscow would participate. France has opted not to accept the invitation, whereas Britain has stated that it will refrain from joining at this moment. China has not yet announced its decision regarding participation in the initiative. Details shared at the event reveal that approximately 35 countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Turkey, and Belarus, have made commitments to the board. A spokesperson for the UN stated that interaction with the board would be confined to the parameters already approved by a UN Security Council resolution associated with Trump’s Gaza plan. The announcement emerged during a period of intensified diplomatic engagement in Davos. US envoy Steve Witkoff stated that progress had been made in Ukraine peace talks, according to reports. “A lot of progress has been made,” Witkoff stated, noting that negotiations were reduced to “one last issue.”
Witkoff was anticipated to journey to Moscow alongside US envoy Jared Kushner for discussions with Putin regarding a potential resolution for Ukraine, the utilization of frozen Russian assets for reconstruction, and Trump’s Board of Peace initiative. Putin also commented on Trump’s initiative to acquire Greenland, stating that the matter was not of concern to Russia. “Greenland’s ownership is not our concern,” Putin stated, emphasizing that the United States and Denmark should address the issue among themselves. While Moscow has observed Washington’s increasing divide with Europe regarding Greenland with keen interest, Putin stated that Russia was concentrating on wider security and diplomatic priorities rather than the ongoing dispute.
