Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed an agreement yesterday to join US President Donald Trump's "Committee for Peace", the latest step in drawing closer to Washington after years of international isolation.
The presidential channel on Telegram posted a video of Lukashenko signing the document and relayed his statement that he hopes it will contribute to peace in Ukraine.
Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, has long been marginalized by the West due to the country's poor human rights record and support for Russian President Vladimir Putin in the war in Ukraine.
But Trump began easing sanctions on Belarus last year in exchange for the release of political prisoners. He called Lukashenko a “very respected” leader, a sharp contrast to the view of the exiled Belarusian opposition, which sees him as a dictator.
The invitation to join the Peace Committee marked a new phase in the American "rehabilitation" of Lukashenko, as Washington continues to negotiate with him about additional prisoner releases and the normalization of relations.
Trump initially proposed the creation of the committee when he unveiled a plan to end the war in Gaza last September. But an invitation to world leaders last week envisions a broader role for the body in ending conflicts around the world.
According to a draft charter sent by the US administration to about 60 addresses, member states would have to pay $1 billion in cash if they wanted their membership to last longer than three years, according to a document seen by Reuters.
Armenia said yesterday it would also join Trump's initiative. The US president has taken credit for ending the long-running conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which have fought two wars since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Among others who have publicly accepted Trump's invitation to join as of yesterday are Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Hungary and Canada.
Under Trump's plan, the group would be made up of world leaders, with him as its chairman. Countries could pay $1 billion to become permanent members, instead of the usual three-year membership, the White House said, although Canada has said it will not pay to join.
Some countries will pay significantly less, possibly around $20 million, a source told CBS News. Another U.S. official said the president wants a signing ceremony for the board at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, and is considering whether the board's work should be expanded beyond Gaza, perhaps rivaling the United Nations.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will soon decide whether to join the “Peace Committee” initiative after receiving an invitation, Turkey’s foreign minister said on Tuesday. “We have received an invitation. Our president has been invited as a founding member, on behalf of Turkey, and he will probably make his decision on this issue very soon,” Hakan Fidan said in a televised interview with state media.
But the formation of the group faces serious resistance from US allies, especially as the president renews his push to take over Greenland and has not ruled out the use of military force to achieve it. Weak support for the committee could be embarrassing for the administration in Davos.
Norway, for example, announced yesterday that it will not participate in the “Committee for Peace” initiative in the way the plan is currently presented.
Trump threatened to hit French wines and champagne with 200 percent tariffs yesterday, apparently trying to persuade French President Emmanuel Macron to join the initiative. A source close to Macron told Reuters that the French president intends to decline the invitation to join. Asked about Macron's stance, Trump said:
“Did he say that? Well, nobody wants him because he'll be out of office very soon.” “I'll put a 200 percent tariff on his wines and champagnes and he'll join in, but he doesn't have to join in,” Trump said.
On Monday, Trump said he had invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to serve on the board, despite Russia's continued attacks on Ukraine and despite the Trump administration's announcement that the Kremlin poses such a national security threat that the United States must take over Greenland to counter it.
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