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We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
Fred Onyango

$1B for peace? Putin’s sudden generosity for Gaza raises eyebrows — and you don’t have to look hard to guess what he’s really after

The Donald Trump diplomacy tour is almost complete. The only thing left is the ratification of the Board of Peace and its 20-point peace plan. So far, 50 countries have reportedly received an invite.

There is still a heavy stigma surrounding what exactly the board will be responsible for, and France was one of the first countries to outright reject an invitation. When the plan for the board was first announced, the goal was simply to rebuild Gaza after the ceasefire that took place last year. But things shifted once Trump named the first members of his team who would join the board, including former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

From that point on, Trump added another hurdle to his rebuilding plan — to join, countries would need to pay a $1 billion entrance fee. This fee would not guide the rebuilding itself but would instead help ratify the Board of Peace as an actual global body that could go toe-to-toe with the United Nations in terms of effectiveness. The detail that raised the most eyebrows, however, is that Trump reportedly wants to serve as chairman indefinitely, even beyond the end of his final term as US president.

Jared Kushner, however, still seems focused on the original rebuilding concept and recently revealed a “master plan” for reviving Gaza. His proposal involves tourist beaches, AI data centers, and industrial complexes. The plans are said to have the potential to boost the area’s economy to a GDP of $10 billion per year, with average household income landing at around $13,000. It is unlikely that there are any Palestinian natives on the board to ensure cultural sensitivity. Kushner pleaded with social media users to simply stay “calm” for 30 days and see what they can achieve.

Another aspect of the Board of Peace that raised concerns was the invitation extended to Vladimir Putin. A $1 billion ask is a major request for an adversary, especially considering that the war in Ukraine led the US to freeze Russian assets across the world and impose sweeping sanctions, hoping the financial pressure would make the war feel more burdensome than beneficial.

Putin has not yet formally responded to Trump’s invitation, but during a meeting with Russia’s Security Council, the Russian president appeared to see an opportunity to make many of his troubles disappear. According to The National Post, Putin said, “Even before we resolve the issue of participation in the Peace Council and its work, given Russia’s special relationship with the Palestinian people, I believe we could direct one billion dollars to the Peace Council from Russian assets frozen under the previous US administration.”

Trump has been claiming that a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine is closer than ever. But as with most wars, ceasefire negotiations are often the last and hardest part to finalize. Stopping a war is rarely the most difficult task — ensuring it does not immediately reignite is always the real challenge. The saying holds true: nobody truly wins in war.

Ukraine had been actively negotiating for Russian frozen assets to be used for its own reconstruction. However, considering Trump’s recent blasé attitude toward annexation and his growing focus on building his peace board, Ukraine’s demands in any ceasefire agreement increasingly seem like an afterthought.

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