On 19 February the Board of Peace convened its inaugural session in Washington, bringing together 22 members to establish a new international forum for peace-making in Gaza and beyond. Of the EU member states, only Bulgaria and Hungary were seated as founding members, having immediately accepted Trump’s invitation back in January, while others remained sceptical.
Despite the initial caution, many clearly did not want to miss the first meeting or be left out of key geopolitical decisions. As a result, the Czech Republic, Romania, Italy, Greece, and Cyprus attended the Washington meeting as observers without voting rights. The European Union was also present in observer status, represented by Commissioner responsible for the Mediterranean region Dubravka Šuica.
In his opening address, Trump struck a relaxed tone as he listed his administration’s achievements in peace-making, praising the work of JD Vance, Marco Rubio, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, whom he described as the ‘best team ever assembled’. The president also highlighted the conflicts where he claimed to have already brokered peace, from Gaza to Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Board’s Achievements So Far
‘There is nothing more expensive than peace,’ Trump said as he introduced the next part of his speech, addressing the leaders of participating countries one by one and giving special recognition to those providing financial support to the Board. Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Kuwait have together contributed $7 billion to the Board of Peace work. Other nations are planning separate fundraising events to support Gaza’s reconstruction and various related projects. Notably, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was also present at the meeting, and the organization pledged $50 million for the construction of sports facilities in Gaza.
Regarding security assistance, Indonesia, Morocco, Albania, Kosovo, Kazakhstan, Egypt, and Jordan offered various forms of military or police support, either by deploying personnel to Gaza or by launching training programmes for local forces.
Concluding the summary of the Board’s achievements, Trump announced that the United States would contribute $10 billion to the new forum’s work. This brings the total amount raised to more than $17 billion in just under a month to support the Board of Peace’s activities in Gaza.
Viktor Orbán Receives Clear Support
As previously reported, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was singled out several times by Trump, who expressed his support for him in the upcoming elections. Trump jokingly added that his endorsement is usually a good sign, referring to Argentine President Javier Milei and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, both of whom he had supported during their campaigns and who went on to win. Later, Trump addressed the Hungarian prime minister again, saying he fully supports him—even if many in Europe may not welcome it. According to Trump, he likes Orbán because he is doing a fantastic job, for example by stopping illegal immigration.
Peace in the Middle East
‘The war in Gaza is over!’ the American president declared. Speaking about the Middle East, Trump primarily emphasized peace, stating that all hostages, both living and deceased, had been freed from terrorist captivity. He also expressed optimism that Hamas would lay down its arms, allowing reconstruction of the territory to begin.
Regarding the increasingly tense situation with Iran, the president was firm: ‘Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon!’ He then cryptically mentioned ten days, suggesting that within that timeframe it would become clear what would happen with Iran.
Tensions between the United States and Iran have continued to escalate after diplomatic talks in Geneva earlier this week ended with little progress. The two sides appear far apart on the nuclear issue: Washington is demanding full dismantlement, while Tehran insists on maintaining its civilian nuclear programme. Following the unsuccessful negotiations, President Trump convened his top advisers to discuss developments related to Iran and consider next steps. Among the options increasingly under discussion is the possibility of military intervention, underscored by the growing US military presence in the Middle East.
In his opening speech at the Board of Peace, Trump remarked: ‘I’m not interested in awards, I just want people to stop killing each other,’ jokingly referencing Norway and the much-coveted Nobel Prize. According to the president, the Board of Peace is the most suitable organization to achieve the goal of peace.
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