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Trump withdraws Canada’s invitation to join Peace Council, deepening rift with Ottawa — Politico
US President Donald Trump has withdrawn Canada’s invitation to join his newly created Peace Council, further straining already cooling relations between the two North American neighbors, Politico reports.
On Thursday, January 22, Trump said that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was no longer a welcome member of the Council. While many leaders of liberal democracies had already refused to join Trump’s new international body, Carney had not ruled out participation and said Canadian officials were still reviewing “the full details of the structure, its principles of operation, and its funding.”
Speaking in Davos on Tuesday, January 20, Carney warned of a “fracture” in the US-led rules-based global order caused by Trump’s aggressive behavior.
Arriving in Davos, Trump made clear he had heard the remarks.
“Canada exists because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make statements,” Trump said on Wednesday.
“Canada does not exist because of the United States. Canada thrives because we are Canadians,” Carney replied on Thursday.
Trump did not specify why he withdrew the invitation, but his social media post came after Carney raised concerns about the Peace Council and sharply responded to Trump’s comments about Canada “living off” the US. The move deepens the split between the two leaders, particularly as Carney — along with other NATO allies — has opposed Trump’s campaign to take control of Greenland from Denmark.
Trump formally launched the Peace Council at the Davos forum, calling it “one of the most important bodies ever created.” Initially, it was described as a temporary body to oversee governance and reconstruction in Gaza.
Trump invited dozens of world leaders to join, though major powers and traditional US allies declined. Representatives from 19 countries attended the signing ceremony, including Argentina’s Javier Milei, Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, Kazakhstan’s Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Azerbaijan’s Ilham Aliyev, and Armenia’s Nikol Pashinyan.
In total, 35 countries have pledged to join, including Belarus and Israel. Invitations were also sent to Russia, China, and Ukraine. UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper cited Trump’s invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin as one of the reasons Britain refused to join the Peace Council.
