FT: Trump wants to create a peace council for Ukraine based on the example of Gaza. Russia will also enter
Donald Trump (Photo: EPA/YURI GRIPAS)

President of the United States Donald Trump has proposed to expand the Gaza Peace Council to include other countries, including Ukraine and Venezuela. About this Financial Times reported a number of unnamed diplomats familiar with the situation.

Western and Arab diplomats have expressed concern about the idea, and other interlocutors have said that Trump sees the Peace Council as a "potential replacement for the UN." It could serve as a parallel informal body to resolve other conflicts outside of Gaza.

According to diplomats, the presentation of the Council members is expected at the World Economic Forum in Davos next week.

"The region is cautious about [this idea]. This is not a normal procedure," the Arab diplomat said.

The creation of a separate council for Ukraine, also under Trump's leadership, is an important part of Russia's proposals to end the war, a senior Kyiv official said. It could include representatives of Ukraine, Europe, NATO and Russia. Its purpose would be to monitor the implementation of the 20-point peace agreement

According to the official, the United States did not specify whether the Council would be overseen by a broader body.

"We have not discussed the idea of expanding the powers of this Council. We believe that, at least at the first stage, the Council should focus on monitoring a specific peace agreement," the sources said.

At the same time, on January 16, the White House announced the composition of the Council for Peace in the Gaza Strip (NCAG). It will be chaired by Ali Shaath and also includes the following members:

→ US Secretary of State Marco Rubio;
→ Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff;
→ son-in-law of the US president Jared Kushner;
→ former British Prime Minister Tony Blair;
→ Mark Rowan, CEO of Apollo Global Management, investment company;
→ World Bank Governor Ajay Banga;
→ Trump's deputy national security adviser Robert Gabriel.

Auxiliary executive and advisory bodies were also established, which also included Vitkoff, Blair, Rowan and Kushner, as well as Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Ali Al-Tawadi, General Hassan Rasha, UAE Minister of International Cooperation Rim Al-Hashim, Nikolai Mladenov, Yakir Gabay and Sigrid Kaag.