Donald Trump has formally withdrawn an invitation for Canada to participate in his newly launched “Board of Peace,” an international body he chairs and promotes as a mechanism for addressing global conflicts, including the governance and reconstruction of Gaza.
The U.S. president announced the decision on Thursday via a post on Truth Social, addressing Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney directly. In the message, Trump stated: “Please let this Letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada’s joining, what will be, the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled, at any time.”
The initiative, unveiled at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, was initially framed as a temporary forum of world leaders to oversee aspects of a Gaza ceasefire. It has since expanded in scope, with invitations extended to numerous countries. Participation in the permanent structure requires a $1 billion contribution from joining nations. While several countries—including the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Vietnam, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan, and Argentina—have committed, leaders from many liberal democracies have declined.
Canada showed early interest, with Prime Minister Carney indicating acceptance in principle ahead of the Davos gathering. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, as cited by CBC News, Carney noted that Canadian officials were still examining the proposal’s structure, operations, and financing, adding that “Canada wants money to have maximum impact.”
However, on Tuesday, Canada’s finance minister, François-Philippe Champagne, clarified to CBC News that the country had no intention of paying the $1 billion fee for a permanent seat.
The withdrawal follows a series of pointed exchanges between the two leaders at Davos. In a widely circulated address, Carney described a “rupture” in the longstanding rules-based international order traditionally led by the United States, attributing it in part to aggressive approaches under Trump. His remarks drew significant attention online.
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Responding during his own Wednesday speech at the forum, Trump referenced Carney’s comments, asserting: “Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”
Carney countered on Thursday, stating firmly: “Canada doesn’t live because of the United States. Canada thrives because we are Canadian.”
The episode underscores emerging strains in U.S.-Canada relations amid Trump’s broader push to reshape international alliances and institutions, including recent U.S. withdrawals from various global organizations. The Board of Peace, which Trump has described as “one of the most consequential bodies ever created in the history of the world,” continues to attract participants despite the rebuff from Ottawa.
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