Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday during a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the Kremlin that he will accept President Donald Trump’s invitation to join the Board of Peace (BoP) and meet the $1 billion requirement.
Trump’s 20-point plan to end the Gaza conflict calls for the establishment of a transitional administration to govern the Gaza Strip, of which the Board of Peace is to be a critical part.
A $1 billion fee is required for member countries to secure a permanent seat. Russia said it would pay using frozen assets in the United States, which would require U.S. action to unblock.
Putin made clear he was joining the BoP to secure Palestinian interests and will pay the $1 billion “first and foremost to support the Palestinian people and to direct those funds to the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and, in general, to resolve Palestinian problems,” according to TASS, Russia’s state-owned news agency.
Trump launched his Board of Peace at a ceremony on Thursday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
The board, which will initially focus on solidifying the ceasefire with Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip, “can do pretty much whatever we want to do” once it is “completely formed,” said Trump.
Representatives of at least 18 nations attended, including Argentina, Hungary, and Morocco, among others.
Israel has also joined the Board of Peace, though it has expressed its disapproval at the inclusion of others due to their support for Hamas, such as Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan.
Russia also has extended a hand to Hamas, repeatedly inviting representatives from the terror group to Moscow.
