He said Indonesia had “never committed to contributing financially at all” and was not present at the founding donors’ meeting in Washington on February 19, where several countries made funding pledges.

Foreign Minister Sugiono had already moved to clarify the issue on March 17, saying the $1 billion figure was not a mandatory membership fee and that Indonesia’s participation in the board was not tied to any fixed financial contribution.

The Board of Peace is a 28-country coalition backing a US plan for post-war Gaza.

Earlier reports said donors at the Washington meeting had pledged an initial $17 billion for reconstruction, emergency relief and security stabilisation, including $10 billion from the United States and $7 billion from nine other countries.

Prabowo said Indonesia’s main contribution would instead be the possible deployment of peacekeeping troops, adding that Jakarta could take on a larger role once reconstruction begins. He pointed to Indonesia’s earlier humanitarian support for Palestine, including assistance channelled through the National Alms Agency and the construction of a hospital.

He also said Indonesia joined the board because it saw a pathway towards Palestinian statehood, citing parts of a 21-point US proposal that refer to statehood and dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians. Those provisions, he said, were in line with Indonesia’s long-standing support for a two-state solution.

The clarification comes as Indonesia’s support for the board faces sharper questions following the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran. The conflict has complicated Jakarta’s earlier enthusiasm for the US-backed initiative and raised pressure at home over how closely it should align itself with Washington on Middle East policy.

“In this alliance, Poland is not and will not be — as long as I am prime minister — a vassal. We will be a loyal and faithful ally, but we will not be a vassal in relations with any country in the world ,” Tusk said. He added that alliances should not depend on “constantly nodding along and trying to achieve something through flattery.”

In his speech, Carney said the world was witnessing “the end of a rules-based global order” and cautioned against nations turning trade into leverage. He also suggested that middle powers like Canada could work together to avoid being “victimised by American hegemony.”

Trump’s response

In a post on Truth Social dated January 23, 2026, Trump announced that Canada’s invitation had been withdrawn. “Please let this letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada’s joining what will be the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled,” Trump wrote, addressing Carney directly.

Trump also responded publicly to Carney’s comments while speaking in Davos, saying Canada “lives because of the United States” and should show more appreciation for Washington’s past support. “Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements,” Trump said.

Just a week earlier, Carney’s office had confirmed that Canada had been invited to join the board and planned to accept.

What is the Board of Peace?

Trump’s Board of Peace was launched as part of his plan to support a ceasefire and post-war arrangements in Gaza. He has since suggested the body could expand to address other global conflicts.

According to Trump, permanent members of the board are required to contribute $1 billion each to help fund its activities. He has also said the board would work “in conjunction with the United Nations,” though UN officials have stressed that their engagement would be limited strictly to the Gaza framework. Trump has described the board as having wide powers, saying once it is fully formed, it could “do pretty much whatever we want to do.”

According to Trump, the initiative was initially conceived as a mechanism to address the conflict in Gaza, but its mandate has since expanded to include broader global conflict resolution efforts.

Here are the countries that have rejected the proposal and invitation to join;

France

French President Emmanuel Macron has rejected Trump’s invitation to join the Board of Peace, his office confirmed on Monday. French officials said the decision was driven by concerns that the board’s powers would go far beyond transitional governance in Gaza and undermine the UN framework. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot pointed to the board’s charter, which refers to powers “in Gaza and elsewhere,” and warned that the authority granted to the chair was excessive. Under the proposal, Trump would be able to approve members, veto decisions taken by a majority and even choose his own successor. “This is very, very far from the Charter of the United Nations,” Barrot is quoted.

Norway

Norway has also formally declined Trump’s invitation. The prime minister’s office said the proposal raised serious legal and political questions and would require deeper dialogue. Oslo confirmed it would not join the Peace Board or attend the signing ceremony in Davos, citing concerns that the initiative runs counter to established international frameworks. Norwegian State Secretary Kristoffer Thoner said the US proposal required closer scrutiny, particularly in relation to existing international frameworks. “The American proposal raises a number of questions that require further dialogue with the United States,” Thoner said.

Sweden

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Sweden would not participate in the Peace Board “with the text submitted so far.” Speaking in Davos, he indicated that the current proposal does not meet Sweden’s standards for international cooperation and governance.

Italy

Italy has also opted out of joining the Board of Peace. Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that Rome would not join the initiative, citing concerns that participation in a body led by the president of a single country could violate Italy’s constitution. The Italian government has not publicly disputed the report.

Countries yet to respond

China

China has not issued any official confirmation or rejection of Trump’s invitation. Beijing’s position remains unclear as the initiative continues to evolve.

India

India has also not publicly responded to the invitation. New Delhi has so far avoided commenting on whether it will join or reject the proposed board.

Russia

Russia, despite its ongoing war with Ukraine has been invited by the US to be a member of the Peace Board. Addressing reporters Dmitry Peskov, presidential spokesman said: “President Putin also received through diplomatic channels an invitation to join this Board of Peace.” He added that Russia was reviewing the invitation and “hoping to get more details from the US side.”

Meanwhile, UN officials have stressed that there is only one universal body with global legitimacy in this area.

Kosovo also confirmed its participation on Wednesday. President Vjosa Osmani said she was honoured to be invited as a founding member, describing the move as standing “shoulder to shoulder with the United States in the pursuit of a safer world .”

“America helped bring peace to Kosovo. Today, Kosovo stands firmly as America’s ally, ready to help carry that peace forward,” Osmani wrote on X. Kosovo has been a close US ally since Washington backed its independence from Serbia in 2008.

UN response? The initiative has raised concerns about whether it could undermine the United Nations. La Neice Collins, spokesperson for the President of the UN General Assembly, said there is only one universal multilateral body mandated to deal with peace and security. “There is one universal multilateral organisation to deal with peace and security issues, and that is the United Nations,” she told RTÉ News . Collins added that the UN’s existing peace mechanisms are established through Security Council resolutions and have specific mandates, stressing that the UN remains the body authorised by the international community to handle global peace and security.

What is the Board of Peace?

According to the White House, the Board of Peace will play a central role in implementing Trump’s 20-point plan to end the Gaza conflict. It is meant to provide strategic oversight, mobilise international resources and ensure accountability as Gaza moves from war to reconstruction and development.

The board will be chaired by Trump and supported by a founding Executive Board made up of senior political and business figures, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump adviser Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, former UK prime minister Tony Blair, investor Marc Rowan, World Bank president Ajay Banga and Robert Gabriel.

Each executive board member will oversee specific areas such as governance , reconstruction, investment, funding and regional relations.

The preamble to the plan says, “durable peace requires pragmatic judgement, common sense solutions, and the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed.”

Trump has suggested the board could eventually help broker other global conflicts, prompting comparisons to a parallel version of the UN Security Council.

So far, countries that have agreed to take part include Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Argentina, Belarus and Kosovo. Invitation letters have also been sent to leaders in Paraguay, Canada, Egypt and Turkey, while Russia, India, Slovenia, Thailand and the European Union’s executive arm have confirmed receiving invitations.

DR Congo and Rwanda

In Washington, Trump hosted a summit where the leaders of DR Congo and Rwanda signed what he hailed as a “historic” peace accord. But analysts quickly noted the document merely endorsed a June agreement that had already failed to halt the conflict.

Clashes were intensifying even ahead of the ceremony, with M23 rebels expanding their control in eastern DR Congo. Both Kinshasa and Kigali accused each other of violating ceasefire terms, and there was no public handshake between Presidents Félix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame, whose tense relations underscored the deal’s fragility.

Within days, Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe refused to commit to any troop withdrawal, insisting Rwanda had none in DR Congo. This, despite UN experts saying Rwandan forces were effectively directing M23 operations.

On the ground , M23 seized major cities, artillery pounded eastern provinces, and residents fled into Burundi. Even as Trump praised the summit as “a great day,” rebel advances continued, and regional officials warned the deal’s collapse was a humiliation for Washington.

Thailand and Cambodia

A similar pattern emerged in Southeast Asia . 

In July, Trump pushed Thailand and Cambodia into a border ceasefire . Bangkok agreed reluctantly; Phnom Penh openly welcomed US involvement.

But the truce unraveled within months. Clashes erupted after a Thai engineering team came under fire. Since then, Thai and Cambodian forces have traded artillery, rockets and air strikes along the border, prompting repeated evacuations of communities.

Thailand accused Cambodia of laying new landmines that maimed several soldiers, while refusing to release troops captured during the July clashes. Cambodia, meanwhile, portrayed itself as the aggrieved party and sought international support.

Domestic politics amplified tensions. Thailand’s military was given free rein to “finish the job,” while Cambodia’s leadership took actions that deepened mistrust, including leaking a sensitive phone call that toppled Thailand’s Shinawatra government.

With both sides showing no signs of stopping, it has become apparent that Trump-brokered ceasefire never addressed the root disputes. 

Bangkok repeatedly said it was not ready for new diplomacy until Cambodia showed “sincerity,” leaving the agreement effectively dead.

Taken together, the DR Congo–Rwanda and Thai-Cambodian cases show a consistent pattern: Trump secured highly publicised signing ceremonies, but the underlying conflicts continued almost immediately.

It also raised questions about whether Trump’s rushed deals ever had a genuine chance at peace.

The remarks come as the ceasefire implemented earlier this month as phase one of a wider peace plan signed in Sharm El-Sheikh has been strained by fresh exchanges of fire, with both Israel and Hamas accusing the other of violating the truce.

US and regional diplomats have been urgently trying to shore up the agreement.