Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has stated that the UK will not yet be signing up to US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace over concerns about Russian leader Vladimir Putin's possible participation.
Cooper told the BBC the UK had been invited to join the board but won't be one of the signatories today at a ceremony at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The board, which gives Trump wide decision-making powers as chairman, is being billed by the US as a new international organisation for resolving conflicts.
Cooper described the board as a legal treaty that raises much broader issues than the initiative's initial focus on ending the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
The charter proposed by the White House does not mention the Palestinian territory and critics say the board appears to be designed to replace some functions of the United Nations.
Criticism has come from several traditional US allies, with none of the permanent members of the UN Security Council—China, France, Russia, and the UK—committing to participation.
At the signing ceremony, Trump insisted the board is not intended to replace the UN and emphasized its potential to create lasting peace in the Middle East.
Despite Trump's optimistic vision, Cooper expressed concerns regarding Putin's commitment, emphasizing the need for Russia to show willingness for peace in Ukraine before engaging in a peace initiative.
This cautious stance reflects ongoing diplomatic tensions and the complexity of international relations as diplomatic channels are explored.
