The Vatican passed on Trump’s invitation. So did the UK. France. Germany.
The Board of Peace met anyway.
President Trump launched his signature international peace initiative Thursday at the newly renamed Donald J Trump Institute of Peace in Washington. Dozens of countries sent officials. The Gulf states showed up in force. So did other nations aligned with the administration’s vision for Gaza reconstruction.
This morning, President Trump unveiled his historic Board of Peace.
— Department of State (@StateDept) January 23, 2026
The leaders of the world are now in a position to enact incredible change for the Middle East. All of this was possible only because of the vision and the drive of the President of the United States. pic.twitter.com/KCUm8BE8CZ
The numbers tell the story. The United States committed $10 billion. Other member nations pledged over $5 billion combined. Thousands of personnel are being deployed for humanitarian efforts.
From The Washington Post:
“President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace will hold its inaugural meeting Thursday in Washington, gathering officials from dozens of countries to hear a status report on his peace plan for the Gaza Strip and what he has described as the board’s ‘unlimited potential’ to become ‘the most consequential international body in history.’ The White House has indicated that the summit for his new ad hoc council at the renamed Donald J Trump Institute of Peace will heavily function as a fundraising round, with Trump announcing on social media that countries have pledged more than $5 billion toward rebuilding Gaza. Administration officials say the Board represents a fundamental shift in how international peace efforts are organized and funded.”
BREAKING:
— Globe Eye News (@GlobeEyeNews) February 18, 2026
The Vatican officially rejects Trump’s invitation to join the Board of Peace. pic.twitter.com/PgOGF8zIMI
Trump framed the spending as a bargain. The $10 billion commitment is “small compared to what we spend on war,” he said.
The European holdouts had a different concern. They wanted oversight of where the money goes. They wanted seats at the table where decisions get made. The administration wasn’t offering either.
From CNN:
“In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said the Board ‘will announce that Member States have pledged more than $5 BILLION DOLLARS toward the Gaza Humanitarian and Reconstruction efforts and have committed thousands of personnel to the effort.’ Major European allies including the United Kingdom, France, and Germany also declined invitations to the first meeting, leaving the board largely composed of Gulf Arab states and other Trump-aligned nations. European diplomats privately expressed frustration over the structure of the initiative, which grants the United States outsized control over fund allocation and reconstruction priorities.”
PRESIDENT TRUMP: The Board of Peace is very generous with money because there's nothing more important or less expensive than peace. pic.twitter.com/Y1xcrK2FdN
— Department of State (@StateDept) February 19, 2026
The Vatican stayed quiet on its reasoning. No public explanation. The Holy See has maintained its own diplomatic channels on Middle East peace for decades. Joining an American-led body would mean ceding that independence.
From The Guardian:
“The White House has indicated that the summit for his new ad hoc council at the renamed Donald J Trump Institute of Peace will heavily function as a fundraising round, with Trump announcing on social media that countries have pledged more than $5bn toward rebuilding Gaza, which has been devastated in the war with Israel and remains in urgent need of reconstruction. The Vatican has not publicly explained its reasoning for declining the invitation, though the decision marks a notable distance between the Holy See and the Trump administration on Middle East peace efforts. Vatican officials have historically preferred multilateral frameworks for peace negotiations rather than initiatives led by a single nation.”
Italy says it’s unable to join US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” owing to a “constitutional limit” marking the latest setback faced by the self-styled “international peace building body.”
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) February 7, 2026
🔗: https://t.co/XFpLigHGf8 pic.twitter.com/x0Lj9KTj3G
The White House called the Vatican’s decision “deeply unfortunate” but made clear the initiative moves forward with or without European buy-in. The countries that did show up brought billions to the table. Europe brought conditions.
Trump chose the money.
