United States President Donald Trump has withdrawn an invitation extended to Canada to join his newly launched ‘Board of Peace’, a move that appeared to be a direct response to remarks made by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.
Trump’s Board of Peace is a global initiative aimed at resolving international conflicts. According to him, permanent members of the Board of Peace are required to contribute $1 billion each to help fund the body.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, Trump announced Canada’s withdrawal decision in a letter addressed personally to Carney.
“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,” Trump wrote.
The move came shortly after Carney delivered a high-profile speech in Davos, where he criticised powerful nations for weaponising economic integration and using tariffs as political leverage. He also urged world leaders to acknowledge what he described as the end of a rules-based global order, comments that reportedly earned him a rare standing ovation from delegates.
Carney further argued that Canada, which recently signed a trade agreement with China, could demonstrate how “middle powers” might work collectively to avoid being marginalised or victimised by United States hegemony.
Trump reacted sharply to the remarks, saying Canada “lives because of the United States” and suggesting that Carney should show greater appreciation for American support.
“Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements,” Trump said, addressing the Canadian leader by his first name while speaking to audiences in Davos.
The withdrawal of Canada’s invitation occurred just hours after Trump formally launched the Board of Peace on the sidelines of the WEF. Only last week, Carney’s office had confirmed that Canada was invited to serve on the board and that the prime minister planned to accept.
While the full membership of the board remains unclear, countries known to have joined include Argentina, Bahrain, Morocco, Pakistan and Türkiye. Several key US allies, including the United Kingdom, France and Italy, have indicated they will not participate for now.
Despite this, Trump insisted that interest in the initiative remains strong, claiming that nearly 30 countries have already signed on.
“Everyone wants to be a part of it,” the US president said, adding that some leaders had expressed willingness to join but needed parliamentary approval. He specifically mentioned Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Polish President Karol Nawrocki in this regard.
“Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much whatever we want to do,” Trump said on Thursday. “And we’ll do it in conjunction with the United Nations.”
The initiative was initially conceived as a small group of world leaders to oversee the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, with Trump serving as chairman. However, it has since expanded into a broader and more ambitious global peace platform.
The establishment of the board was endorsed by a United Nations Security Council resolution as part of Trump’s Gaza peace plan. UN spokesperson Rolando Gomez said the organisation’s engagement with the board would be limited strictly to that framework.
