Photo: Getty Images
According to the US president, the council’s efforts will unite an “outstanding group of countries”
US President Donald Trump has sent a letter inviting Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko to join a “peace council” intended to address the conflict in the Gaza Strip and, later, potentially the war in Ukraine. The letter was published by Pul Pervogo, a Telegram channel affiliated with Lukashenko’s press service.
“It is a great honor for me to invite you, the President of Belarus, to join my critically historic and ambitious efforts to strengthen peace in the Middle East, while at the same time launching a bold new approach to resolving global conflicts,” Trump wrote.
According to Trump, the efforts of the “peace council” will bring together an “outstanding group of countries” ready to take on the “noble responsibility of building lasting peace.” He added that the council would soon assemble “excellent and dedicated partners, most of whom are respected world leaders.”
“As Chairman of the Council, I formally invite the Republic of Belarus to join as a founding state and to become a party to the Charter of the Peace Council, represented by you. This council will be unique — nothing like it has existed before. Each member state may appoint an authorized representative to participate in meetings on its behalf,” the letter states.
Trump has also invited Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to join the “peace council.” The Kremlin leader is said to be still reviewing the proposal, while Orban accepted it immediately.
Trump is expected to serve as the council’s chair for life and, according to a draft charter, would personally oversee its finances. The council would initially focus on the conflict in Gaza and would later be expanded to address other conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, media reports say.
Sixty countries have reportedly been invited to join the council, with permanent membership available upon payment of $1 billion. As Bloomberg reported, each member state would hold a mandate of no more than three years, though this limit would not apply to permanent members. Critics fear Trump is seeking to create an alternative to — or a rival of — the United Nations, which he has long criticized publicly.
The partial lifting of US sanctions on Belarus has been seen as a victory for Lukashenko, but not for Belarusians. More than a thousand political prisoners remain behind bars, and Lukashenko continues to rely on repression and support from Moscow. This thaw appears fragile and may prove to be little more than a diplomatic illusion.
