President Donald Trump suggested that his new Board of Peace might replace the United Nations, a major fear many had with the proposal.
Trump sent out invitations to 60 countries for his new Board of Peace, formed around his plan to end the war in Gaza. Reception has been mixed, with one of the main fears voiced by critics being that he was trying to usurp the U.N. Trump added fuel to the fear on Tuesday at a White House press conference, suggesting that “it might,” when asked if he wanted the board to replace the U.N.
“Well, I mean, the U.N. just hasn’t been very helpful,” he said. “I’m a big fan of the U.N.’s potential, but it has never lived up to its potential. The U.N. should have settled every one of the wars that I settled; I never went to them. I never even thought to go to them. They should be able to settle those wars.”
Trump voiced some hesitation about doing away with the U.N. altogether, however.
“I believe you’ve got to let the U.N. continue because the potential is so great,” he said.
The board has been envisioned as a technocratic body designed to resolve conflicts around the world, branching out from its original conception as a body designed to solve the war in Gaza.
WHO WAS INVITED TO BE ON TRUMP’S ‘BOARD OF PEACE’?
Only a handful of countries have accepted Trump’s invitation so far, including Hungary, Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Paraguay, and Armenia. A few have given negative responses, including Poland and France. Among France’s concerns is that it will usurp the U.N.
“France was invited to join the Board of Peace and is examining the proposed legal framework with its partners,” a senior French official told Axios on Monday. “At this stage, it does not intend to give a favorable response. The Charter goes beyond the sole framework of Gaza. It raises major questions, in particular regarding respect for the principles and structure of the United Nations, which cannot under any circumstances be called into question.”
