Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced that the UK will not be signing US President Donald Trump's proposed Board of Peace due to reservations regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin's involvement. The decision was made during a planned ceremony at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where Cooper reiterated that while the UK had received an invitation, it would not be one of the signatories today.
Cooper described the board as a 'legal treaty that raises much broader issues' than just the initiative's original aim of bringing an end to the Israel-Hamas conflict. She highlighted that the charter proposed by the White House fails to mention Palestinian territories and seems intended to assume some roles that the United Nations currently holds.
Other countries, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and Israel, have agreed to join the board, with Trump announcing that Putin accepted an invitation to participate, though the Russian leader has not confirmed this and stated that his country is still evaluating the invitation.
Cooper emphasized the UK's strong support of Trump's 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza, underlining that the UK wants to take part in the second phase of the Gaza peace process. However, she raised alarm over the prospect of Putin engaging in peace talks given the absence of signals from the Russian leader showing commitment to peace in Ukraine.
The UK remains a staunch ally of Ukraine and recently signed agreements with France to deploy troops should a peace agreement be reached with Russia. As discussions on ending the war in Ukraine continue, Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are scheduled to meet in Davos, with Trump previously claiming that the two leaders were nearing an agreement.
Cooper’s comments reflect a growing scrutiny of the Board of Peace amidst concerns over Russia's actions and the broader implications of the treaty being proposed.
