Russian President Vladimir Putin has received an invitation to join US President Donald Trump's newly created "Board of Peace" for Gaza, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed on 19 January.
Putin remains wanted by the International Criminal Court for the war crime of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children from occupied territories. The ICC recently reaffirmed this warrant will stand regardless of any future peace agreement, according to Euronews.
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Putin and Russian Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova in March 2023 for the war crime of unlawful deportation and transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia.
Ukrainian authorities have documented 19,546 children deported since the 2022 invasion—though the true number is likely far higher.
Just last month, Russia jailed ICC judges and the court's prosecutor in absentia over the warrant, dismissing international criminal law as illegitimate, according to The Moscow Times.
Kremlin considers $1bn peace council seat
"President Putin received an invitation through diplomatic channels to become a member of this Board of Peace," Peskov told reporters. "At the moment, we're looking at all the details of this proposal, and we hope to discuss all of the nuances with the Americans."
A permanent seat on the board requires a $1 billion contribution toward rebuilding Gaza, according to a draft charter obtained by the Washington Post.
The body is chaired by Trump and includes an executive committee with former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
World leaders have received invitations to join the board, including Putin's ally Belarusian President Aliaksandr Lukashenka, Al Jazeera reported. The board is tasked with implementing Trump's 20-point plan to end Israel's war on Gaza, overseeing a three-tier governing structure and Gaza's reconstruction.
Israel rejects board it didn't coordinate
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the board's composition "was not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy," Euronews reported.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called the plan "bad for the State of Israel," adding: "Gaza is ours, its future will affect our future more than anyone else's."
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed the UK is talking to allies about the board. The European Commission said it wants "to contribute to a comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict."
Ukraine war nears fourth year
Putin's potential participation would mark his return to a major Western-led international project since invading Ukraine in February 2022.
The war has killed some 15,000 Ukrainian civilians and hundreds of thousands of soldiers on both sides, The Hill reported.
Trump blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week for stalling peace negotiations.
"Ukraine has never been and will never be a stumbling block to peace," Zelenskyy responded. "When Ukrainians are left without power for 20-30 hours because of Russia, and when Russian strikes are aimed at breaking our energy system and our people, it is Russia that must be put under pressure."
Board of Peace may expand to Ukraine
The Trump administration is considering expanding the "Board of Peace" concept to include Ukraine itself, the Kyiv Independent reported, citing the Financial Times.
This would potentially create a body where Putin would oversee reconstruction of a country he is actively destroying.
