As reported by the BBC, Cooper said the proposal involved a treaty-like structure that required further examination, adding that the UK was also uneasy about Russian President Vladimir Putin being linked to a peace initiative while there had been no clear movement from Moscow towards ending the war in Ukraine.
The UK has been invited to join the board and remains engaged in ongoing international discussions about the role it could play in supporting the Gaza peace process, the foreign secretary said.
The Board of Peace was initially envisaged as a limited group to oversee a ceasefire in the Middle East but has since expanded in scope. According to a senior US official quoted by the BBC under White House ground rules, around 35 countries have agreed to participate, while roughly 60 nations have been invited to join.Russia has yet to confirm its participation. President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was still consulting with its strategic partners before taking a decision. He did not attend the signing ceremony held in Davos on Thursday.
The event was attended by several world leaders, including Argentina’s President Javier Milei and Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, alongside President Trump.
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The discussions come against the backdrop of strained relations between the US and some European countries following recent tariff threats by Washington. However, President Trump later signalled a pause on the proposed measures after meeting Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte in Davos, where the two discussed a framework for future Arctic security cooperation.
Addressing delegates, President Trump suggested the Board of Peace could eventually take on a broader global role beyond Gaza and criticised the United Nations for what he described as insufficient action to end conflicts worldwide.
