After blasting Carney, Trump disinvites Canada to 'board of peace'
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has withdrawn an invitation for Canada to join his "board of peace" initiative. The decision comes after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he criticized powerful nations for using economic integration as weapons and tariffs as leverage. In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote, "Please let this Letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada's joining."
Speech impact
Carney's Davos speech and Canada's stance on board
Earlier, Carney had accepted the invitation in principle but said his officials had not yet gone through "all the details of the structure, how it's going to work, what the financing is for, etcetera." He emphasized that Canada wants its contributions to have maximum impact. Canada's Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne had also made it clear that Canada wasn't willing to pay the $1 billion required for a permanent seat on Trump's board.
Board details
Board of peace's purpose and member countries
The board was initially intended to oversee Gaza's governance and reconstruction. It is chaired by Trump and requires permanent members to contribute $1 billion each. He officially launched his "board of peace" initiative at the World Economic Forum in Davos, claiming it would be "one of the most consequential bodies ever created in history." Member nations include Argentina, Bahrain, Morocco, Pakistan, and Turkey. Other US allies such as Britain, France, and Italy have decided not to join.
Future plans
Trump's response to Carney's speech and board's future
In his speech to world leaders at Davos on Tuesday, Carney characterized "a rupture" in the previous "rules-based" world order controlled by the United States. In response, Trump said, "Canada lives because of the United States.Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements." "Canada doesn't live because of the United States," Carney countered on Thursday. "Canada thrives because we are Canadian."