European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Thursday indicated that European leaders would be willing to work with US President Donald Trump’s newly established Board of Peace, if its focus is narrowed down to Gaza.
"We want to work for peace in the Middle East, and we want this board of peace to be limited to the UN Security Council resolution as it was foreseen," Kallas said, as quoted by the Reuters news agency.
"So if we narrow it down to Gaza like it was meant to be, then we can work with it," she added.
Kallas was speaking before a summit of EU leaders where Trump's proposal was among the items to be discussed.
Earlier on Thursday, Trump delivered an address to the World Economic Forum in Davos as part of his announcement of the charter of his new Board of Peace.
"We're going to have peace in the world," Trump told the audience, amid widespread speculation that he intends to use the Board of Peace to replace the United Nations in settling conflicts around the world, rather than limiting its activities to resolving the conflict in Gaza.
Following the signing of the charter, Trump signed the Board's inaugural resolution regarding Gaza, in accordance with UN Resolution 2803.
Trump's Board of Peace, an international body chaired by the US President himself, is a central element of the Trump administration's efforts to secure lasting stability in Gaza following the ceasefire which went into effect in October.
The Board of Peace is tasked with providing strategic oversight for Gaza's demilitarization, reconstruction, and transitional governance, coordinating with a Palestinian Arab-led National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) while mobilizing international resources and funding.
A host of world leaders have been invited to join the Board of Peace. On Wednesday, Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates announced they would join.
Hours prior, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he has accepted Trump’s invitation and will join the Board of Peace.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had also been invited by Trump to join, was to meet on Thursday with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to discuss the issue.
The Russian leader said his Foreign Ministry has been instructed to study Trump’s invitation for Moscow to join his proposed Board of Peace, and that Russia would respond in due course.
Meanwhile, Trump on Thursday night rescinded the invitation to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to join the Board of Peace.
“Dear Prime Minister Carney: Please let this Letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada’s joining, what will be, the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled, at any time. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" he wrote in a post on Truth Social.