The Peace Council created by the US president, initially for the reconstruction of the , although he later announced that he would undertake a broader crisis resolution mission, .
What will be announced
Its disarmament, the size of the Palestinian enclave reconstruction fund and its flow into Gaza are among the key issues likely to test the Council’s effectiveness in the coming weeks and months.
Forty-seven countries, of which only a few are full members of the Council, and the EU as an “observer”, will discuss the reconstruction of the Palestinian enclave, the first mission of this organization that is fully controlled by Trump.
The meeting will take place at the “American Institute for Peace Donald J. Trump”, which was recently renamed in honor of the American president, and will start at 09:00 (local time, 16:00 Greek time).
Trump, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair will deliver speeches, among others.
According to the White House, commitments will be announced to raise $5 billion for the Gaza Strip, as well as to send “thousands” of troops to join a stabilization force.
Disarming Hamas in order to begin the mission of this stabilization force remains a thorny issue, so this force is not expected to be deployed for weeks or months.
“We are under no illusions about the challenges we face on demilitarization, but we have been encouraged by what the mediators have conveyed,” a senior US official said.
A member of the Peace Council, who spoke on condition of anonymity, noted that the Gaza plan faces huge obstacles.
He added that one of the key unresolved issues is who will negotiate with Hamas, while another thorny issue is the flow of humanitarian aid, which the official described as “catastrophic” and stressed that it urgently needs to be increased. However, even if the flow of aid is boosted, it is not clear who will distribute it, he pointed out.
Competitive UN?
In addition to Gaza, the Peace Council’s mission is to “guarantee lasting peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict.”
On paper that could mean competing with the UN, which Trump has called ineffective.
Permanent members of the council must pay $1 billion to join, which has drawn criticism that it could turn into a paid version of the UN Security Council.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has called the Council “a new UN of which Trump will be the sole master.”
Donald Trump is effectively the all-powerful president of the Council: only he has the power to “invite” other heads of state and government to join it and can easily revoke their participation.
Who participates in the Peace Council?
Leaders who have been accused of authoritarian tendencies or who have adopted Trump’s ideology, but also countries who are concerned about the future of Gaza or wish to curry favor with the American president, have announced their participation.
Foreign Minister Gideon Shaar will represent Israel.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Argentine President Javier Millay will attend the meeting.
Several Arab countries have joined the Council: Egypt will be represented by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli and Jordan by Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi.
Indonesian President Pravobo Subianto has said he is ready to deploy 8,000 troops to join the stabilization force, as have many other central Asian leaders who have joined the Council.
Besides, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cambodia, El Salvador, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Mongolia, Pakistan, Paraguay, Uzbekistan and Vietnam have announced that they are joining the Council.
Who keeps their distance?
The great traditional Western partners as well as the great adversaries of the USA have largely avoided becoming founding members of the Peace Council. The major powers of the Global South, such as Brazil, India, Mexico and South Africa, have not accepted Trump’s invitation.
Europe is divided over the stance it should take specifically for today’s meeting.
Some countries will participate as “observers”, such as Italy and Germany. The EU has chosen the same approach and will be represented by Commissioner Dubravka Suitsa. But France, Spain, Belgium and Ireland, among others, criticized Brussels’ decision.
Trump withdrew his invitation to Canada, while the Vatican declined to participate.
China, which has been invited, has expressed no intention to participate and has repeatedly stated its commitment to the UN-centered international system.
Japan reserves to make a decision on its formal participation in the Peace Council. At today’s meeting, it is expected to send its envoy to Gaza, according to press reports.
