Trump May Be Trying to Build an Alternative to the UN

President Trump thinks the UN is a joke. The UN thinks Trump is a little out of control. What now? It appears Trump is aiming to build what some see as an alternative to the world body—one that would be run by him initially. Coverage:

• The organization: Trump sent invitations over the weekend to dozens of world leaders to join his proposed Board of Peace, billed as an international peace-making group, reports the Washington Post.
• Steep cost: Nations who want a permanent seat must pay $1 billion, reports Bloomberg. Countries that want to join without paying would get a three-year membership.

• Gaza, plus: The plan seems to stem from Trump's initial proposal to establish a Board of Peace to focus on Gaza. That board is now in place, and Trump named members to it over the weekend. However, the Gaza board would be operating under the umbrella of the larger group, explains Bloomberg.
• The charter: The White House hasn't divulged many details about the larger group, but the Times of Israel posted a draft charter over the weekend. It describes the board as "an international organization that seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict." It would not become official until three member states sign on.
• Putin invited: Scores of world leaders have received invitations, including Vladimir Putin, reports the Financial Times. The Kremlin "is studying all the details of the proposal and hopes to contact Washington to clarify all the nuances," says spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

• Trump's sway: The charter suggests Trump would have final say over virtually all decisions, including who gets invited. As chairman, he would also hold veto power and "final authority" over interpreting the charter, even though each member state would get one vote. The Post reports that European nations are leery about contributing money to an organization that would be dominated by Trump's vision. But they also are leery about provoking another disagreement with the US president, according to the account.
• Skeptic: The board sounds "largely performative," a former State Department diplomat under Republican and Democratic administrations, tells the Post. "The Board of Peace is a concept tethered to a galaxy far, far away, not tethered to the realities back here on planet Earth," says Aaron David Miller. "The Board of Peace is not going to be able to solve the conflict in Sudan. It is not going to do what American mediators and Europeans couldn't do with respect to getting a ceasefire in Ukraine."