(Bloomberg) — The Trump administration is asking countries that want a permanent seat on its new Peace Council to contribute at least $1 billion.
According to a draft of the proposed group’s bylaws, seen by Bloomberg, President Donald Trump would serve as its inaugural president and decide who would be invited to become a member. Decisions would be taken by majority, with each member state present having the right to one vote. All decisions, however, would be subject to the approval of the council president.
“Each Member State shall serve a term of maximum three years from the entry into force of this Statute, subject to renewal by the President. The three-year term shall not apply to Member States that contribute more than US$1 billion in cash resources to the Peace Council within the first year of the entry into force of this Statute,” the draft reads.
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Critics fear that Trump is trying to build an alternative, or rival, to the United Nations, an institution he has long criticized.
The council is described in its charter as “an international organization that seeks to promote stability, restore reliable and lawful governance, and ensure lasting peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict.” It would become official once three member states agreed to the statute.
Trump would also be responsible for approving the group’s official seal, according to the document.
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White House officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump invited several world leaders, including Argentina’s President Javier Milei and Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney, to join a Gaza Peace Council, which would be formed under the broader umbrella of his new Peace Council.
That plan drew immediate criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said the details had not been coordinated with his country.
Several European countries have been invited to join the Peace Council, according to people familiar with the matter. The draft appears to suggest that Trump himself would control the money, something that would be considered unacceptable to most countries that could potentially join the council, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Several nations strongly oppose Trump’s proposed draft statute and are working collectively to react to the proposals, they added.
The Peace Council would hold voting meetings at least once a year and “at such other additional times and places as the President deems appropriate,” according to the draft statute. The agenda would be subject to approval by the president. The board would hold regular non-voting meetings of its executive board, called at least quarterly.
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Trump would also have the power to remove a member, subject to a veto by a two-thirds majority of member states. “The president shall, at all times, designate a successor to the office of president,” the statute states.
On Friday, the White House announced a first executive panel that would include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, ahead of the formation of the general council.
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