Trump asks Putin to join Gaza ‘board of peace’ even as Ukraine war rages

The Kremlin says it is seeking to “clarify all the nuances” of the offer from Washington.Published On 19 Jan 2026Russian President Vladimir Putin has been invited to join United States President Donald Trump’s “board of peace”, purportedly aimed at resolving global conflicts as well as overseeing governance and reconstruction in Gaza.The invitation, which emerged on Monday, was extended as Russia’s nearly four-year war on Ukraine continues and a peace deal there remains elusive. Trump had been pushing for an end to the war, one he claimed he would stop within 24 hours of taking office a year ago. A war of attrition has been raging on the ground, and peace negotiations are ongoing, but momentum has slowed again.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Trump names Tony Blair, Jared Kushner to Gaza ‘Board of Peace’list 2 of 3Trump asks Turkiye’s Erdogan, Egypt’s el-Sisi to join Gaza ‘board of peace’list 3 of 3Trump’s ‘board of peace’ appears to seek wider mandate beyond Gazaend of listThe White House has reached out to figures around the world to sit on the “board of peace”, chaired by Trump himself.“President Putin also received an invitation to join this board of peace,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Monday.Russia was seeking to “clarify all the nuances” of the offer with Washington, he said, without adding whether Putin is inclined to join.Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a Putin ally, has also been reportedly invited to join the group by Trump.Moscow for years tried to balance relations with all major players in the Middle East, including Israel and the Palestinians.But since the start of Israel’s more than two-year genocidal war on Gaza and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Putin has moved away from Israel, boosting ties with its foes, such as Iran.Moscow has also sought closer relationships with the Gulf Arab states amid growing Western isolation.