New York/Washington, Jan 23: US President Donald Trump has said that working with the Board of Peace is going to be a “good thing” for the United Nations, which has “failed” to live up to its potential.
It’s going to do great work with Gaza, and maybe other things, you know, could be beyond Gaza, and we’ll work in terms with the United Nations. I’ve always said the United Nations has great potential, great potential, but they have not lived up to (it),” Trump told reporters onboard Air Force en route to Joint Base Andrews from Davos.
Trump said he ended eight wars, but never spoke to the UN regarding that.
“You think I would have spoken to them a lot, but the United Nations has great potential. I think working with the board of peace is going to be a good thing for the United Nations,” he said.
In a ceremony in Davos, Switzerland, on the margins of the World Economic Forum, Trump formally ratified the Charter of the Board of Peace – establishing it as an official international organisation.
Trump, who will serve as the Board’s Chairman, was joined by its Founding Members “representing countries around the world who have committed to building a secure and prosperous future for Gaza that delivers lasting peace, stability, and opportunity for its people,” the White House said.
The countries that signed and joined the Charter of the Board of Peace are Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Mongolia, Morocco, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE and Uzbekistan.
Following the launch of the Board of Peace in Davos, Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said at a press briefing Thursday that the UN is “committed” to doing whatever “we can to ensure the full implementation” of Security Council Resolution 2803, which had welcomed the creation of the Board of Peace for Gaza.
“A Part of that resolution and the plan put forward by President Trump talked about the UN leading on humanitarian aid delivery. I think we have delivered a massive amount of humanitarian aid in Gaza, as much as we’ve been able to allow. And we’ve talked about the restrictions, but you know how much more we’ve been able to do since the ceasefire. As part of that, we’ve worked very well with the US authorities, and we will continue to do so,” Dujarric said.
He said that the “UN remains the only international organisation with universal membership. We’ve obviously saw the announcements made in Davos yesterday and again today. The Secretary-General’s work continues with determination to implement the mandates given to us, all underpinned by international law, by the charter of the UN. I mean, our work continues.”
Trump had earlier said that the Board of Peace for Gaza “might” replace the United Nations, which he said has never lived up to its potential.
Ukraine, Russia, US to discuss territorial issues
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the future of eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region will be central to talks on Friday in Abu Dhabi between Ukraine, Russia and the United States aimed at ending Russia’s nearly four-year full-scale invasion.
The talks follow overnight discussions in Moscow between Russian President Vladimir Putin and envoys of US President Donald Trump, where the Kremlin reiterated that any peace deal would require Ukraine to withdraw from eastern territories Russia claims to have annexed.
Zelenskyy said he remains open to creating a free trade zone in eastern Ukraine under Kyiv’s control, an idea he discussed with Trump during a meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos, which both leaders described as productive.
Trump said both Putin and Zelenskyy want a deal and that concessions are being discussed, with territorial boundaries remaining the main obstacle.
The Kremlin described the Abu Dhabi meeting as a “working group on security issues,” led by Russian military officials, and said talks could extend into Saturday.
Separate discussions are planned on economic issues between Russian and US envoys. Putin also reiterated an offer to contribute frozen Russian assets to Trump’s Board of Peace, a proposal Trump said he was fine with.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy sharply criticised European allies for slow and fragmented support, urging Europe to take stronger, more decisive action as Ukraine struggles with manpower shortages, economic strain and continued reliance on Western military aid. (Agencies)
