UK unlikely to join Trump’s Gaza Peace Board amid outcry over Putin invitation
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the Russian leader 'does not belong on the board'
Downing Street has indicated the Prime Minister is unlikely to accept a seat on the so-called “Board of Peace” for Gaza, citing strong objections to the invitation extended to Vladimir Putin.
The prospect of the Russian president joining the body—which forms part of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan for the Middle East—has drawn condemnation from UK ministers. The board is intended to help govern Gaza in the medium term, with Mr Trump as its chair, and world leaders have been invited to join.
Reports that Putin and Belarusian president Aleksandr Lukashenko are among those invited were sharply criticised on Monday.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the Russian leader “does not belong on the board,” while Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones called the idea “absurd.”
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Tuesday: “We are concerned about reports that Putin and Lukashenko could be members of the board. Putin is the aggressor in an illegal war against Ukraine, and he has shown time and time again that he is not serious about peace. Our discussions with international partners about the board of peace continue.”
The spokesman added that the UK continues to work with allies on its role in the US-led peace plan and welcomes US leadership in seeking a lasting solution in Gaza.
Starmer is said to have received an invitation to join the board over the weekend. The timing of his response to Trump’s invitation remains unclear.
On Friday, it was reported that former prime minister Sir Tony Blair would sit among the executive members of the project, alongside Trump allies Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Jones said: “I agree that President Putin is not a man of peace, and that it would be absurd for him to be on the board of peace.”
In the House of Commons, Cooper echoed this view: “Putin is not a man of peace, and I don’t think he belongs in any organisation with peace in the name.” She emphasised that Gaza should be run by Palestinians, highlighting the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza as the most important body for the region’s future.
On Monday, the Kremlin confirmed Mr Putin had received an offer to join, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying Moscow was “studying all details of this offer.”
Asked whether he had invited Putin, Trump told reporters: “The answer is yes, I did.”
He also said he invited French President Emmanuel Macron, joking about imposing a 200% tariff on French wine if he declined the offer.
Each leader is reportedly being asked to contribute $1 billion (£740 million) for a permanent seat on the board. Albania, Canada, and Uzbekistan are among the countries that have already indicated plans to join.
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