Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff, left, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrive before a trilateral signing ceremony with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev and Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in the State Dining Room of the White House, Aug. 8, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
At least eight additional countries have reported receiving U.S. invitations to join President Donald Trump's newly formed Board of Peace, aimed at guiding Gaza's post-conflict steps and signaling wider global ambitions.
Permanent membership on the Trump-chaired board requires a $1 billion contribution, unlike the no-fee three-year term, a U.S. official revealed anonymously, noting the charter remains unpublished.
Hungary and Vietnam confirmed their acceptance.
Funds would support Gaza's reconstruction.Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a key Trump ally in Europe, accepted via Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto's statement on state radio Sunday.
Vietnam's Communist Party leader To Lam also joined, per a foreign ministry announcement.
India confirmed an invitation, a senior official said anonymously, as details await public release.Australia, invited as well, plans discussions with the U.S. to clarify implications, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told Australian Broadcasting Corp. Monday.
Jordan, Greece, Greek Cyprus, and Pakistan disclosed invitations Sunday.
Earlier, Canada, Türkiye, Egypt, Paraguay, Argentina, and Albania reported similar outreach.
The total invitees remain unspecified.
The U.S. anticipates unveiling the full membership soon, possibly at the World Economic Forum in Davos.Board members will supervise Gaza's ongoing ceasefire from Oct. 10, entering its complex second phase with a new Palestinian committee, international security deployment, Hamas disarmament, and rebuilding efforts.
Trump's Friday invitation letters to leaders positioned the board as a "bold new approach to resolving global conflict," potentially challenging the U.N. Security Council, stalled by U.S. vetoes on Gaza and hit by funding cuts under Trump.
The letters highlighted Security Council endorsement of the U.S. 20-point Gaza plan, including the board's establishment, with some shared on social media by recipients.
Last week, the White House named an executive committee to execute the board's goals, but Israel objected Saturday, calling it uncoordinated and against policy, in a rare critique of Washington.
The committee features U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, World Bank President Ajay Banga, deputy national security adviser Robert Gabriel, and Israeli billionaire Yakir Gabay.
It includes Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye as ceasefire monitors. Türkiye, despite tensions with Israel, maintains Hamas ties and could aid in power transitions and disarmament.
Broader ambitions
Letters from Trump, shared on social media Saturday by invited leaders Argentine President Javier Milei and Paraguayan President Santiago Pena, suggest the Board of Peace aims for a broader role in world affairs.
An accompanying charter, cited in multiple reports, reinforces these expansive goals.In his letter to Milei, Trump stated the board would work to "solidify Peace in the Middle East" while launching "a bold new approach to resolving Global Conflict."
The Financial Times quoted the charter as declaring: "The Board of Peace is an international organization that seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict."
It added, "Durable peace requires pragmatic judgment, common sense solutions, and the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed."
Two diplomatic sources informed Reuters that invitations included this charter, outlining an extended mandate.
One diplomat, familiar with the letter, described it to the agency as a "'Trump United Nations' that ignores the fundamentals of the U.N. charter."
A senior U.S. official told The Associated Press that any wider role for the board remains "aspirational."
The official noted Trump and his team see potential in it, amid frustrations from Washington and other nations toward the United Nations.
However, the board is not meant to supplant the U.N., the official emphasized.
