Trump Pulls Canada's Board of Peace Invite

President Trump has rescinded his invitation for Canada to join the "Board of Peace" he unveiled Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos. In a Truth Social post addressed to Prime Minister Mark Carney Thursday evening, Trump said: "Please let this Letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada's joining, what will be, the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled, at any time."

• The project is billed as a multibillion-dollar effort to help rebuild Gaza during a political transition, with countries offered permanent seats on the board in exchange for a $1 billion contribution. Trump said Thursday that the board would work to resolve other conflicts around the world. More than 30 nations have reportedly signed on, including Argentina, Belarus, Israel, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. France has declined, with Paris warning that parts of the plan clash with the UN charter, while the UK says it has concerns about Russia's possible participation, the BBC reports. Vladimir Putin has said he is considering the offer to join the board.

Carney had not confirmed whether Canada would participate. Earlier this week, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said Ottawa had no intention of paying for a permanent seat, adding that Canada would not "pay if we were to join," the CBC reports. The withdrawal comes amid a sharp public exchange between Trump and Carney. In a Davos speech that earned a standing ovation Tuesday, the Canadian leader warned that major powers, including the US, are turning economic ties into "weapons," and urged "middle powers" to align more closely with one another. "The old order is not coming back," he said.

Trump responded the next day from the same stage, saying Canada should be "grateful" to the US. "Canada lives because of the United States," he declared adding, "Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements." Carney had already left Davos at that point, the CBC reports. Speaking to his cabinet Thursday, Carney pushed back, calling the cross-border relationship a "remarkable partnership" spanning economics, security, and culture—but adding, "Canada doesn't live because of the United States. Canada thrives because we are Canadian."

"We are masters in our home, this is our own country, it's our future, the choice is up to us," he said. Carney praised Canada's values as key to maintaining sovereignty, the AP reports. "We can show that another way is possible, that the arc of history isn't destined to be warped toward authoritarianism and exclusion; it can still bend toward progress and justice." Trump pulled the Board of Peace invite hours later.