Britain will not participate in Thursday’s signing ceremony for United States President Donald Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace” in Davos, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has said, citing serious concerns over the initiative’s scope and the inclusion of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump is expected to host the ceremony at the World Economic Forum in Davos for the founding charter of the new body, which is designed to resolve international conflicts and reportedly carries a $1 billion cost for permanent membership.
Speaking to the BBC from the Swiss mountain resort, Cooper said the United Kingdom would not be among the signatories, stressing that significant issues remained unresolved.
“There’s a huge amount of work to do. We won’t be one of the signatories today,” she said.
The British government’s reservations are largely linked to the possible involvement of President Putin, whose forces have continued military operations in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in 2022.
“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.
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Invitations to join the board were reportedly sent to dozens of world leaders, although details about the structure and mandate of the organisation remain unclear.
While the initiative was initially conceived to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza, the charter appears to give the board a far wider remit, fuelling fears that it could rival the United Nations. The proposal has already drawn criticism from several US allies, including France.
Trump said on Wednesday that Putin had agreed to join the board, although the Kremlin has indicated it is still reviewing the invitation.
The decision by Britain to stay away shows growing unease among Western allies about the direction, legitimacy and geopolitical implications of Trump’s ambitious peace initiative.
