‘Controversial people but … ‘: Why was Putin invited to Board of Peace despite Greenland ‘threat’ from Russia? Trump replies
US President Donald Trump defended his decision to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to the newly proposed Board of Peace, despite earlier expressing concerns that Russia could attempt to take over Greenland. Trump said the body is meant to include leaders who “get the job done,” even if they are controversial.CNN questioned Trump on the apparent contradiction, asking, “You talked about being concerned about Russia trying to come and take over Greenland. If you’re worried that Putin would do something like that, why invite him to the Board of Peace?”In response, Trump said the board focuses on power and influence rather than political alignment. “We want everybody. We want all nations. We want all nations where people have control, people have power, that we’re never going to have a problem. This is the greatest board ever assembled. And everybody wants to be on it. But yeah, I have some controversial people on it, but these are people that get the job done.”Also read | An unlikely partner? Russia says Trump’s Greenland trope ‘none of our business’ – what it means“These are people that have tremendous influence. All babies on the board. So he (Putin) was invited. He’s accepted. Many people have accepted. think, I don’t know of anybody that hasn’t accepted. But it’s going to be great,” he added.Trump said the Gaza Board of Peace would be a high-level international body created to achieve results where existing global institutions have fallen short.“I think the Board of Peace will be the most prestigious board ever. And it’s going to get a lot of work done that the United Nations should have done. And we’ll work with the United Nations. But the Board of Peace is going to be special. We’re going to have peace. It started off with Gaza, the Middle East. We’ve got peace in the Middle East. Tremendous peace in the Middle East. Nobody thought that was possible. And that happened by taking out the Iran nuclear threat. Without that, it could have never happened. But the board is going to be, I think, really fantastic. And I think it will be the most prestigious board of any board ever,” the US President said.Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace” is envisioned as a new body to resolve international conflicts, with permanent membership costing $1 billion. Although it was initially planned to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza following the war between Hamas and Israel, the board’s charter does not limit its role to the Gaza Strip. This has raised concerns that Trump intends it to operate as a rival to the United Nations.Several key US allies, including France and Britain, have expressed skepticism about the initiative. However, a number of countries have agreed to take part, particularly in the Middle East, where Trump-aligned nations such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar have signed on.
How Greenland tensions help Russia
Analysts say the controversy over Greenland is helping Russia. For years, the Kremlin has tried to weaken ties between the United States and Europe, especially by undermining Nato, which Russia sees as a major barrier to its ambitions.Also read | Rebuild Gaza, Ukraine: Putin responds to Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ invite — what’s the $1bn frozen-asset offer?Greenland is a territory of Denmark, a Nato member, and any dispute over it risks creating tension between Washington and its European allies. Such disagreements could weaken trust within the alliance at a time when Nato is backing Ukraine in its war against Russia.Russian state television commentators have openly praised Trump’s moves on Greenland, calling them “delivering a catastrophic blow to Nato” and “truly tremendous for Russia.” In Moscow, the idea of Western allies turning on each other has been met with clear enthusiasm.Both Russia and China deny having any plans to take over Greenland, and the Danish military has said there is no serious invasion threat from the east. Still, concerns remain that political disputes over Greenland could widen existing cracks within Nato.With the alliance facing what some call its biggest crisis in decades, there are growing fears that unity between the US and Europe could weaken. If that happens, Western support for Ukraine could suffer, giving Russia a stronger position as its rivals struggle with internal disagreements.
