Russian President Vladimir Putin has been invited to join a proposed “Board of Peace” initiated by US President Donald Trump to help resolve global conflicts and oversee governance and reconstruction efforts in Gaza, the Kremlin said on Monday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the invitation, noting that Moscow was seeking to “clarify all the nuances” of the proposal with Washington. He did not indicate whether Putin was inclined to accept the offer.
The White House is reported to have reached out to several international figures to serve on the Board, which would be chaired by President Trump.
Russia has historically sought to maintain balanced relations with key actors in the Middle East, including Israel and the Palestinians. However, Moscow’s ties with Israel have cooled following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war and Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, with the Kremlin strengthening relations with Israel’s regional rivals, including Iran, and expanding engagement with Gulf states amid increasing Western isolation.
Putin has previously praised Trump’s conflict-resolution initiatives. Speaking last October, the Russian leader said the US president was making significant efforts to address long-running global crises. Referring to the Middle East, Putin described the potential success of Trump’s initiatives as “historic.”
The conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza have strained Moscow’s traditionally cordial relations with Israel, which is home to a large Russian-speaking population. The Kremlin has repeatedly criticised Israel’s military response to the October 7 attacks and urged restraint.
At a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas last May, Putin described the situation in Gaza as a “humanitarian catastrophe” and reaffirmed Russia’s support for the Palestinian people, according to Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency.
