President Donald Trump holds up a signed Board of Peace charter during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
US President Donald Trump on Thursday unveiled his ‘Board of Peace’, a collective of countries from around the world, which was originally proposed to oversee the transition and reconstruction of Gaza, following the end of the two-year war between Israel and Hamas.
But on Thursday, Trump suggested that the Board of Peace, which will be headed by him, has wider, global ambitions.
‘Board of Peace would end decades of suffering’
According to Trump, the Board of Peace would “end decades of suffering” and “forge a beautiful, everlasting and glorious peace” not just in the Middle East, but globally.
“I think we can spread out to other things as we succeed with Gaza, we’re going to be very successful in Gaza,” he said, adding, “We can do numerous other things. Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much whatever we want to do.”
‘Will work with UN’
Trump, who has long been a critic of the United Nations, said that his Board of Peace would “work with many others, including the United Nations.”
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“I think the combination of the Board of Peace with the kind of people we have here, coupled with the United Nations, can be something very, very unique for the world,” Trump said.
Warning to Hamas
On the subject of Gaza, Trump said: “If Hamas doesn’t do what they promised they will do – I think they probably will – but they were born with rifles in their hands.”
“They have to give up their weapons, and if they don’t do that, it is going to be the end of them,” he added.
Trump also mentioned the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and said, “We have to do something about that.”
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‘Will end Russia-Ukraine war soon’
During the 2024 Presidential Election campaign, Trump had repeatedly claimed that he could end the Russia-Ukraine war in the first 24 hours in office. However, even as he completed one year in office, the war is still ongoing, and his past efforts for a ceasefire have failed to materialise. But, on Thursday, Trump said he believes another settlement “is coming very soon”.
On the Ukraine war, he said: “The one I thought was going to be an easy one has turned out to be probably the most difficult.”
Trump expressed frustration with Presidents Zelenskyy and Putin for not ending their war, calling them “stupid” if they do not reach a deal soon. He confirmed inviting Putin to join the board, stating he wanted “everybody who was powerful” involved.
‘Obliterated Iran’s nuclear capacity’
Trump also spoke about his actions on the international front, including the strikes on Iranian nuclear sites that took place last summer, which he claimed “obliterated” Tehran’s nuclear capacity.
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“Iran does want to talk, and will talk,” Trump added.
‘World is calming down’
The US President also expressed optimism that “many good things are happening” and described how threats to Europe, America, and the Middle East “are really calming down”.
“Just one year ago the world was actually on fire, a lot of people didn’t know it,” he said.
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