Who will join Trump's Peace Council? This could be a problem for the US president
European leaders rushed to praise Donald Trump's announcement of a Middle East peace deal. Now they're not so sure they want anything to do with it anymore.
From the beginning, Trump promoted his Peace Council as an integral part of the plan to manage the situation after the war in Gaza, which sparked a fight for a position on the body.
Now the details of the action are known, which has caused anxiety among key European allies who were supposed to participate in the initiative.
Skeptics point out that the commission's statute does not contain a direct reference to the Gaza Strip and gives it broad powers to resolve global conflicts, which, according to some, may effectively lead to the creation of shadow of the United Nations.
The decision to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin also worried America's traditional allies on the continent. In addition, countries applying for a permanent seat on the commission were asked to contribute at least USD 1 billion. (PLN 3.6 billion), which is another political obstacle.
Without enthusiasm
These conditions are proving too difficult for some European leaders to accept. Even people perceived as… express their concerns friendly to the White Housesuch as Giorgia Meloni from Italy and Karol Nawrocki from Poland. Trump's efforts to acquire Greenland have also caused a rift between the US president and his staunchest political supporters in Europe.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk summed up the mood among Trump's critics by writing on X: “we will not let anyone play us.”
Proposals to create a Peace Council were met with and deepened consternation in many countries transatlantic rift, caused by the US administration's plans regarding Greenland.
According to Italian media reports, Meloni is considering refusing to participate in the Peace Council despite his close relationship with Trump. On Wednesday, she said she needed more time to consider the issue.
Italy's prime minister is facing divisions in his government coalition, with leading politicians from the center-right Forza Italia party publicly calling on Meloni to reject the US plan. In turn, the right-wing League is more favorable to this proposal. An additional complication for Meloni are concerns that joining the new supranational body may violate the Italian constitution.
“Serious doubts”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who until recently was very reluctant to directly criticize Trump, is also cautious about the idea. He made one of his most decisive statements in the House of Commons, saying he would not budge on Greenland. These words, although referring to a different issue, suggested new, a more decisive stance Great Britain.
Starmer's spokesman said the UK was still reviewing the terms and expressed concern about the inclusion of Putin and Lukashenko.
According to British politicians, Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper is skeptical about Trump's plan and tried to discuss the role of the Palestinians and global cooperation during meetings in Davos.
French President Emmanuel Macron rejected the offer, and his office said the council's statute “goes beyond the framework of the Gaza Strip” and “raises serious doubts” about undermining the authority of the UN.
US President Donald Trump in Davos, January 21, 2026.Fabrice Coffrini / AFP
The Dutch also refused to participate, and a Danish diplomat, who was granted anonymity, told POLITICO that Copenhagen was not even invited.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is considering participating in the initiative, said on Tuesday that “it is very difficult to imagine how we and Russia could sit on the council together.”
Europe before the decision
Putin's potential role also sparked a reaction from Poland. “If I were at one meeting with Vladimir Putin, I would not lack the strength and energy to tell him what I think,” President Karol Nawrocki, a Trump ally, said on Thursday in an interview for Telewizja Republika.
But Nawrocki has not made an official decision yet. MPs from the right-wing PiS party, with which he is closely associated, argued that it was better for Poland to have a seat at the table than not, and that the UN was a spent force. Nawrocki said on Wednesday after his meeting with Trump that he explained to the US president that he would have to obtain the consent of the government and parliament before making a decision. He added that Trump understands this perfectly.
Germany welcomed Trump's invitation, but has not yet made a final decision. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is still considering options, and the topic is expected to be discussed at Thursday's European Council meeting.
While London may not agree, Britain will have a voice on the Peace Council's executive committee in the person of Tony Blair, the former prime minister, who will sit alongside US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
List of volunteers
The White House confirmed that Trump would emphasize the importance of the Peace Council during Thursday's meeting in Davos, noting that approximately 35 out of over 50 world leaders accepted the invitations.
Countries that have so far publicly accepted the offer of a seat on the council include Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan and Vietnam. Jordan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Indonesia announced on Wednesday that they would join Egypt, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates in accepting the invitation.
The list also includes Albania, whose government voted on Wednesday to join the initiative. This came as Kushner met with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama about his massive, multi-billion dollar investment in a luxury resort on the country's only island.
Trump's post-war organizing may be getting a mixed reception, but there's no sign that this has discouraged the president himself.
