Trump asks Putin to join Gaza ‘board of peace’ even as Ukraine war rages

It’s not yet clear whether the Russian leader intends to join the governing structure, according to the Kremlin spokesman.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been invited to join United States President Donald Trump’s “board of peace”, purportedly aimed at resolving global conflicts as well as overseeing governance and reconstruction in Gaza.

The invitation, which emerged on Monday, was extended as Russia’s nearly four-year war on Ukraine continues and a peace deal there remains elusive. Trump had been pushing for an end to the war, one he claimed he would stop within 24 hours of taking office a year ago. A war of attrition has been raging on the ground, and peace negotiations are ongoing, but momentum has slowed again.

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The White House has reached out to figures around the world to sit on the “board of peace”, chaired by Trump himself.

“President Putin also received an invitation to join this board of peace,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Monday.

Russia was seeking to “clarify all the nuances” of the offer with Washington, he said, without adding whether Putin is inclined to join.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a Putin ally, has also been reportedly invited to join the group by Trump.

Moscow for years tried to balance relations with all major players in the Middle East, including Israel and the Palestinians.

But since the start of Israel’s more than two-year genocidal war on Gaza and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Putin has moved away from Israel, boosting ties with its foes, such as Iran.

Moscow has also sought closer relationships with the Gulf Arab states amid growing Western isolation.

Putin has previously praised Trump’s efforts to resolve conflicts.

“He’s really doing a lot to resolve these complex crises, which have lasted for years, even decades,” Putin said in October.

Referring to the situation in the Middle East, Putin said: “If we succeed in achieving everything Donald has strived for, … it will be a historic event.”

The assault on Ukraine and the war in Gaza have strained Moscow’s traditionally good relations with Israel, home to a large Russian-born community.

The Kremlin has repeatedly criticised Israel’s war on Gaza and called for restraint.

“The Gaza Strip is experiencing a humanitarian catastrophe in the full sense of the word,” Putin was quoted as saying by the news agency RIA Novosti at a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in May.

“Russia, as a friend of the Palestinian people, is trying to provide regular assistance,” the Russian president added.

The “board of peace”, which is expected to implement Trump’s 20-point plan to end Israel’s war on Gaza, is a three-tier governing structure consisting of representatives from around the world including the US, Europe and Arab countries.

However, it has been criticised by experts for placing Trump, pro-Israel officials like US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and polarising figures in the region, such as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, at the top while Palestinians are relegated to the third tier with municipal duties, potentially marginalising Palestinian political agency in favour of a commercialised, “neocolonial” governance model.