US President Donald Trump has formally asked Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to participate in a proposed “Board of Peace” focused on global disputes and Gaza’s post-war administration, the Kremlin disclosed on Monday.
The outreach, part of broader efforts to assemble international leaders for the initiative chaired by Trump himself, was revealed by spokesman Dmitry Peskov amid inquiries from reporters, including AFP.
“President Putin also received an invitation to join this Board of Peace,” Peskov stated, adding that Moscow is working to “clarify all the nuances” of the proposal with US counterparts.
No immediate response from Putin was indicated, with Peskov offering no insight into the Russian leader’s stance on acceptance.
The board aims to tackle entrenched conflicts worldwide, with a specific emphasis on overseeing reconstruction and governance in Gaza following the Israel-Hamas war that erupted in October 2023.
Putin has previously commended Trump’s diplomatic push, saying last October: “He’s really doing a lot to resolve these complex crises, which have lasted for years, even decades.”
He added that a breakthrough in the Middle East under Trump’s guidance would mark “a historic event.”
Russia’s foreign policy in the region has evolved since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the Gaza hostilities, straining ties with Israel while deepening alliances with Iran and Arab nations.
The Kremlin has voiced disapproval of Israel’s military operations, urging moderation, and Putin labeled the situation in Gaza a “humanitarian catastrophe in the full sense of the word” during a May encounter with Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas.
He affirmed: “Russia, as a friend of the Palestinian people, is trying to provide regular assistance.”
The invitation underscores Trump’s ambition to rally diverse powers for peacebuilding, though it arrives against a backdrop of Western sanctions on Russia and heightened geopolitical frictions.
