Will the Peace Council become Trump’s “personal playground"?

In 2025, the Gaza peace summit held in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh and welcomed with great fanfare around the world, in some sense drew a curtain over the conflict between Israel and Hamas. After hostilities were halted and captives returned home, many people were left with the impression that the war had come to an end. However, the optimism surrounding the meeting — which brought together many of the world’s leading states — did not last long. After a short pause, military actions resumed under various pretexts.

The renewed conflict, whether overshadowed by other high-profile events or deliberately avoided in public discourse, seemed to fade into the background. In reality, the number of casualties has continued to rise even after the ceasefire, military operations have not stopped across various parts of Gaza, and many international organizations continue to publish new statistics on the attacks.

U.S. President Donald Trump has now appeared to acknowledge the problem, announcing a transition to the second phase of the agreement. Ironically, the same Trump whose actions have fueled new conflicts in different parts of the world has announced the creation of an international organization that promises to ensure peace. Under his leadership, a new Peace Council is being formed. It appears that Trump is dissatisfied with the increasingly declining authority of the United Nations and has now set out to establish an international organization fully under his own control. So what exactly is this Peace Council, and who has been invited to join it?

What is the Peace Council?

The Peace Summit held in Sharm el-Sheikh on October 13, 2025, was one of the most significant diplomatic steps toward ending the Gaza war. Led by the leaders of the United States, Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt, the summit was attended by representatives of 27 countries and major international organizations. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, U.S. President Donald Trump, Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan signed a joint declaration titled Trump’s Declaration of Eternal Peace and Prosperity. Notably, however, none of the warring parties — neither Israel nor Hamas — were represented at the summit. This may partly explain why the negotiations failed to produce the expected results.

Following criticism over the failure to achieve peace in Gaza, Trump announced on December 10 that a new Peace Council would be established in the new year. As promised, on January 15 the White House officially announced the creation of a new body called The Board of Peace.

“I am very pleased to announce the establishment of the Peace Council. Its composition will be announced in the coming days, but I can confidently say that this will be the greatest and most influential council ever formed, anywhere and at any time,” Trump wrote.

Initially envisioned as a transitional governing body to address problems in the Gaza Strip, the new plan suggests transforming it into a powerful international organization. According to some experts, the Peace Council could potentially become an alternative to the United Nations. Evidence for this claim lies in the published charter of the Peace Council. A review of the 13-chapter document suggests that this is not merely a temporary governing structure, but a new international organization developed on a business-model basis.

According to Article 1 of the charter, the Peace Council is an international organization that seeks to promote stability, restore legitimate and effective governance, and ensure sustainable peace in regions affected by or at risk of conflict. The council will carry out peacebuilding activities in accordance with international law and within the framework of its charter.

“The council will develop and promote best practices that can be applied by all peoples and societies striving for peace,” the charter states.

Under the second phase of the peace plan, a large number of countries have been invited to join the new council. According to the membership chapter of the charter, council membership is limited to states personally invited by the chair. Each invited country receives three years of free membership, after which permanent membership requires a one-time contribution of $1 billion.

The charter also stipulates that council meetings will be held at least once a year, as well as additional voting sessions at times and locations deemed appropriate by the chair. The agenda of such meetings will be determined by the Executive Council.

On January 16, the White House announced the composition of the initial executive body of the new Peace Council. Its members include:

• U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio;
• U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff;
• Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner;
• Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair;
• American billionaire Mark Rowan;
• World Bank President Ajay Banga;
• U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor Robert Gabriel.

According to the White House, each member of the Executive Council will oversee a specific area related to stabilizing Gaza and ensuring long-term development. Key tasks include strengthening governance capacity, developing regional ties, restoring infrastructure, attracting investment, and mobilizing large-scale financing and capital.

The issue of chairmanship is resolved without elections or term limits, remaining entirely at the discretion of the chair. Successors will also be appointed by inheritance-like designation — reminiscent of ancient monarchies. Unsurprisingly, the charter explicitly names Donald John Trump as the first chair. Trump plans to ratify the charter on January 22 during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Who has been invited?

Donald Trump has begun sending letters to world leaders in an effort to expand membership in the new international structure. Leaders from India, Egypt, Finland, Belarus, Brazil, as well as several countries in South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia have already received invitations.

Notably, leaders from Central Asia — Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan — are also among those invited. This reflects the growing integration between the United States and Central Asian countries in recent years.

On January 19, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan received an official invitation from President Donald Trump to join the international initiative aimed at strengthening peace and resolving conflicts in the Middle East. Uzbekistan was invited to join the Peace Council as a founding state, with a proposal to unite efforts toward long-term peace, stability, and security.

According to reports, Mirziyoyev responded with a letter expressing Uzbekistan’s readiness to join the Peace Council as a founding member, describing the initiative as an important step toward resolving longstanding conflicts in the Middle East and ensuring broader regional stability.

Kazakhstan has also been invited to join the council. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev confirmed Kazakhstan’s readiness to contribute to peace in the Middle East, strengthen inter-state trust, and enhance global stability. This was stated by presidential press secretary Ruslan Zheldibay in an interview with Tengrinews.

“Yes, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was among the first world leaders to receive an official invitation, and Kazakhstan has the opportunity to become one of the founders of the Peace Council. In response, the head of state sent a letter of gratitude to the U.S. president and confirmed his consent to join the new organization,” Zheldibay said.

One of the most active proponents of peace in Gaza, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, also received an invitation early on. According to a statement by Burhanettin Duran, head of Turkey’s Directorate of Communications, Erdoğan received Trump’s invitation on January 16, 2026.

“The UN Security Council, through Resolution 2803, decided to support the comprehensive plan announced by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the conflict in Gaza. As part of this, the Peace Council and its structures are being established to ensure security and reconstruction in Gaza,” Duran wrote.

Interestingly, Russian President Vladimir Putin — who ordered the invasion of Ukraine — is also among those invited. Despite strained relations between Trump and Putin, Russia’s potential membership has not been ruled out. Some analysts speculate that the invitation may be aimed at reaching an agreement with Putin over Ukraine. According to The Financial Times, Trump invited Putin in order to maintain dialogue and cordial relations.

“Yes, President Putin has received an invitation through diplomatic channels to join the Peace Council. We are currently studying all the details of this proposal and hope to engage with the American side to clarify all sensitive aspects,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists on January 19.

However, Russia has not yet made a final decision, with Peskov emphasizing that all nuances of the proposal are still under review.

At the same time, not all countries are willing to join what some have described as Trump’s “money-making project.” France, one of the first countries to receive an invitation, rejected the offer.

According to Bloomberg, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed dissatisfaction with the charter’s scope, noting that it goes far beyond Gaza-related issues, and declined the invitation to join as a founding member.

In conclusion, efforts initially aimed at resolving the Gaza crisis in a comprehensive manner may now lead to the emergence of a new international organization potentially rivaling the United Nations. However, at a time when international law has been severely weakened by global power struggles, many are questioning whether an organization founded by a figure known for disregarding international norms can truly ensure peace. After all, expecting peace from Trump — who openly admitted that he does not concern himself with peace because he never received a Nobel Prize — raises serious doubts. Having used “peacebuilding” rhetoric to gain power, yet failing to resolve major conflicts once in office, what exactly is Trump’s goal in creating a new organization with such grandiose promises?