Trump Invites Putin to Join 'Peace Council' Rivaling UN
Russian President Vladimir Putin has received an invitation from US leader Donald Trump to join the «Peace Council». The head of state announced this at a meeting with permanent members of the Security Council.
«We have indeed received a personal appeal from US President Donald Trump with an invitation to join the new international structure being created on his initiative—»the Peace Council«. In this regard, I would like first of all to thank the US president for this proposal,» Putin noted.
He added that Russia will give a response when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs studies the proposal and consults with allies. Putin also stated that Russia is ready to transfer $1 billion to the «Peace Council» from frozen assets.
«Therefore, even before we decide on the issue of participation in the composition and work of the »Peace Council«, I am thinking of directing $1 billion from Russian assets frozen during the previous US administration,» the president said.
Putin also confirmed that he will meet in Moscow with Trump«s special envoy Steve Whitcoff and entrepreneur Jared Kushner. The negotiations will take place on January 22.
What is the «Peace Council»?
Donald Trump announced the creation of the «Peace Council» on January 16. It was assumed that the new structure would only deal with the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, but the organization«s charter outlines broader tasks.
«The Peace Council is an international organization whose activities are aimed at promoting stability, restoring reliable and legitimate governance, and ensuring sustainable peace in areas affected by or under threat of conflict,» The Times of Israel published the text of the invitation to the organization.
The Financial Times writes that the «Peace Council» could compete with the UN.
According to Axios, Trump sent invitations to his organization to the leaders of 58 states, but the portal does not provide the full list. At the time of publication, 17 states have accepted the proposal, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Vietnam, Israel, and Kazakhstan. Norway, Sweden, and France have refused to join.
