Trump's Peace Council is stillborn and destructive, created to inflate his ego — diplomat

Diplomat Oleh Shamshur expressed this opinion on Espreso TV.

"In my view, Trump, especially after Venezuela, considers himself the director of the entire universe. Right now he's limiting himself to the Western Hemisphere. We've essentially reached the point where Trump is above everything! The very idea of the Peace Council is stillborn, destructive, and will bring nothing except inflating Trump's ego. China certainly doesn't need this council – Beijing knows perfectly well how to use UN instruments. In other words, this is just Trump's typical way of inflating his own self-importance. The countries that have joined this council are either economically or politically dependent on the U.S. and have no choice," Shamshur explained.

According to him, this project could provide Russia and Belarus with a way out of diplomatic isolation. 

"For countries like Belarus and Russia, this is effectively a path to break through their diplomatic isolation and present public positions. The Peace Council is definitely a very bad idea, and it's no coincidence that those European countries that received invitations to join this council have either refused or are still deliberating," he added.

35 states have joined the Council

A White House official told Reuters that 35 world leaders have committed to joining Trump's Peace Council. The U.S. sent out approximately 50 invitations in total.

The countries are predominantly Trump's Middle Eastern allies – Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, and Egypt. NATO members Turkey and Hungary have also agreed to participate, as have Morocco, Pakistan, Indonesia, Kosovo, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Paraguay, and Vietnam. Armenia and Azerbaijan are also on the list.

Alexander Lukashenko has already publicly accepted Trump's invitation to join the Council, while Putin has not. China has also not yet commented on the question of joining.

Who has declined the invitation

The Council currently lacks Washington's major European allies. According to sources, French President Emmanuel Macron will not accept the invitation. Trump has already reacted to this by threatening to impose 200% tariffs on French champagne and wine.

Sweden and Norway will not join the Council, and Italy calls potential membership problematic. Canada says it agrees to membership "in principle," but details need to be worked out.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan have not taken clear public positions on this issue.

The U.S. President has also invited Pope Leo XIV. The Vatican has stated that it is currently considering the proposal.

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on January 20 that U.S. President Donald Trump invited him to the Peace Council regarding Gaza.