Trump’s Board of Peace exceeds Gaza mandate and could replace UN – expert
The Board of Peace established at the initiative of U.S. President Donald Trump is gradually transforming into a body with extraordinarily broad powers that go beyond its original mandate to address the situation in the Gaza Strip.
This was stated in a comment to Ukrinform by diplomat and international analyst Ihor Dolhov.
According to him, the idea of the Board of Peace was initially based on a UN Security Council decision and concerned a single specific conflict, but it is now clear that the initiative’s ambitions are far broader.
“Formally, the Board of Peace was created and planned to implement a UN Security Council resolution related to one conflict – the Gaza Strip. However, it is already clear that the Board of Peace, as envisioned by Trump, is ready and willing to take on much more – almost to the point of replacing the United Nations,” Dolhov said.
The expert stressed that this uncertainty over the Board’s future powers is what is causing concern among traditional U.S. Western partners.
“The European Union, the United Kingdom, the G7, and NATO were not particularly quick or enthusiastic in embracing this idea. Some states, instead of full participation, are sending only observers in rather modest capacities – ministers or even ambassadors,” he said.
Commenting on the first working meeting of the Board of Peace, which took place in Washington, Dolhov noted that the event was more demonstrative than politically substantive.
“There is always an element of show at international summits: joint photos, symbolism, hall decorations. But in this case, it was all show. There was not much real politics there,” the analyst emphasized.
At the same time, according to him, Trump announced that practical results had already been achieved, particularly in terms of financing the Board of Peace.
“Trump stated that nine participating countries have already announced their contributions, and that the Board of Peace now has about $7 billion to move to the second stage of the peace plan for Gaza. The United States also plans to allocate an additional $10 billion,” Dolhov said.
The expert also drew attention to the presented concept for postwar reconstruction of Gaza, which he described as a development-style project with overly optimistic expectations.
“The plan envisions the construction of 180 large super-complexes, industrial zones, high-end hotels, and the development of services and IT. It is presented as a ‘paradise on earth’ within ten years – by 2035,” he explained.
At the same time, Dolhov warned that without meeting basic security conditions, the implementation of such a plan remains highly questionable.
“So far, there is no clear understanding that Hamas will lay down its arms. Without that, moving to work on the ground and implementing any plans is hardly possible,” the expert stressed.
The analyst also noted that amid large-scale plans for Gaza, Trump has publicly spoken about his own peacekeeping ambitions in other conflicts, including Russia’s war against Ukraine, but has so far outlined no concrete mechanisms.
As reported earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to deploy International Stabilization Force in postwar Gaza. According to him, the United States would lead the mission, with troops from Albania, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, and Morocco taking part. The plan envisions deploying about 20,000 troops across five sectors of Gaza, and in the long term also 12,000 police officers. In addition, the Trump administration is considering the construction of a military base in Gaza for 5,000 personnel.