Trump to Showcase ‘Board of Peace’ at Davos Amid Ukraine Talks

U.S. President Donald Trump will present his newly proposed “Board of Peace” and hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday, aiming to reinforce his image as an international mediator after stepping back from tensions over Greenland.

The move comes a day after Trump announced he would drop threatened tariffs against European allies and rule out military action to acquire Greenland from Denmark, partly easing strains that had overshadowed the World Economic Forum.

On his second day in Davos, Trump is scheduled to host a signing ceremony for the charter of the Board of Peace, a conflict-resolution body he has promoted as an alternative to traditional multilateral institutions. The board requires a $1 billion commitment for permanent membership and has invited leaders such as Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, and Saudi Arabia’s King Salman to join.

“I think it’s the greatest board ever formed,” Trump said Wednesday during a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who has also agreed to participate.

Originally conceived to oversee reconstruction in Gaza, the board’s charter allows it to operate beyond the Palestinian territory, raising concerns it could evolve into a rival to the United Nations. While key Western allies like France and Britain remain skeptical, about 35 world leaders have so far committed to join, according to a senior U.S. official.

Trump confirmed he would meet with Zelensky following the board’s launch, as delicate negotiations continue over a potential ceasefire in Russia’s nearly four-year invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. president reiterated his belief that both Moscow and Kyiv are positioned to reach a deal, stating, “If they don’t, they’re stupid  that goes for both of them.”

In a related diplomatic effort, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, alongside son-in-law Jared Kushner, is expected to travel to Moscow for talks with Putin on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Trump said late Wednesday that he had reached a “framework of a future deal” over Greenland and the Arctic after meeting NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, leading him to waive impending tariffs. Rutte acknowledged the talks were productive but emphasized that significant work remains.

The U.S. president has consistently argued that Greenland is strategically important for countering Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic, even as European allies have questioned the approach.