Trump withdraws invitation to Canadian PM to join Peace Council

President of the United States Donald Trump canceled the invitation to the Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney to join his Peace Council, an organization he founded to oversee a peace deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, but which he is now trying to expand into an institution that will rival the United Nations. This was reported by the newspaper The New York Times.

In his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Carney called on leaders to unite to resist Trump's "America First" doctrine and his efforts to destroy the post-World War II international order.

On Thursday, hours before Trump's announcement, Carney went further, condemning "authoritarianism and exclusion" in a speech that seemed to be directed at the American president.

He then withdrew Carney's invitation without explaining why. Trump, who often attacks leaders who do not publicly defy him, was likely reacting to Carney's outspoken remarks. In a similar episode months earlier, the US president tried to punish Canada with additional tariffs over a Canadian TV ad that quoted the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan, condemning the tariffs.

"Let this letter serve as a signal that the Peace Council is withdrawing its invitation for Canada to participate in the most prestigious Leaders' Council ever created," Trump wrote on social media.

Last week, the Canadian prime minister received an invitation to the Peace Council, and his team said he planned to accept. But he quickly distanced himself from the offer after it was revealed that Trump would charge members more than $1 billion in exchange for a permanent seat in the organization, and other Western leaders, such as French President Emmanuel Macron, refused to join.

The rescission of the invitation was also the latest sign that the Peace Council will be anything but a typical international organization where disagreement and open dialogue among members is tolerated or even encouraged. The organization's charter gives Trump excessive power, including the right to veto decisions, approve the agenda, invite and remove members, completely dissolve the council, and appoint a successor.

• On January 18, 2026, it was reported that the Trump administration wants to at least $1 billion from countries seeking a permanent seat on its Peace Council.
• On January 19, it became known that Macron does not plan to accept Trump's invitation to join the so-called Peace Council. In general, the invitation was received by leaders of five dozen countries, including Ukraine.
• January 22 in Davos the ceremony took place creation of the Peace Council.