Trump's “Board of Peace”: An Exclusive Club Divides Europe and Austria Rejects It
The diplomatic world is looking to Washington, where U.S. President Donald Trump is hosting the first meeting of his newly created “Board of Peace.” But while preparations are underway at the White House, there is deep skepticism in European capitals. Austria has now also given the project a definitive rejection. The reasoning from Vienna is clear: they do not want to create “parallel structures” to the United Nations (UN).
Austria refuses to participate in the “Board of Peace” initiated by Trump. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / Gage Skidmore / CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en)
The Peace Council, which Trump presented around four weeks ago on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, is unique in its structure worldwide – and highly controversial. Originally planned as a body to monitor the post-war order in the Gaza Strip, the U.S. president has unceremoniously extended its powers to global conflicts.
The council's rules read like the articles of association of a family business. Donald J. Trump holds the chairmanship for life and, according to the charter, will lead the body permanently, far beyond his current term of office. Membership is subject to a fee, with a permanent seat on the council costing one billion U.S. dollars. Those who do not pay will have their mandate terminated after three years. An exclusive circle. Only those personally invited by Trump may participate. So far, around 60 countries have been contacted, including Austria, but a striking number of Western partners, such as Canada and the Baltic states, have been overlooked.
Austria pulls the ripcord
After several weeks of deliberation, the Austrian federal government has now said “no.” The foreign policy spokesperson for Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP) told according to “DerStandard” that Austria was willing to contribute to sustainable peace in the Middle East, but did not want to undermine the multilateral system of the UN. “As one of the four host countries of the United Nations, we do not want to establish parallel structures,” said the chancellor's office.
The concerns in Vienna are primarily directed at the charter of the “Board of Peace,” which experts have already described as a “caricature of a world organization.” The enormous power that Trump has secured for himself in the committee contradicts the cooperative approach that Austria has traditionally pursued in foreign policy.
Europe divided: observers instead of partners
The rejection from Vienna joins a long list of prominent refusals. Germany, France, and the United Kingdom also rejected the “Peace Council.” Nevertheless, the European Union is divided on this issue:
Hungary and Bulgaria are the only EU members to have accepted the invitation to full membership. While Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is seeking closer ties with Trump, Bulgaria's accession is still being held back by domestic protests and a pending parliamentary decision.
The observers are Italy, Greece, Cyprus, and Romania, which have opted for a middle ground. They are sending observers to Washington to maintain contact without submitting to the strict rules of the charter.
The EU Commission is also sending an observer, Croatian Commissioner Dubravka Šuica, to remain in the conversation on the reconstruction of Gaza, but at the same time emphasizes that it will not become a member of the council.
Billions for Gaza, soldiers from Indonesia
Despite the criticism, Trump can point to initial successes. According to his own statements on the “Truth Social” platform, the future council members have already pledged over five billion dollars for reconstruction in the Gaza Strip. In addition, an international stabilization force (ISF) is being considered. So far, Indonesia in particular has made concrete plans and has promised to send up to 8,000 soldiers for security tasks.
In Gaza itself, the development is being viewed with suspicion. In particular, the possible return of the controversial U.S. security company “UG Solutions,” which according to media reports, is negotiating a mission on behalf of the Peace Council, is meeting with massive rejection among the Palestinian population.
Whether the “Peace Council” will actually become a stabilizing factor in the Middle East or merely serve as a diplomatic power tool for Donald Trump will become clear in the next three days in Washington.