Will Romania participate in the Board of Peace?
Bucharest is deciding whether or not to accept the invitation received by Romanian President Nicuşor Dan to participate in the first meeting of the Peace Council
Sorin Iordan, 09.02.2026, 14:00
Romanian President Nicuşor Dan has been invited to attend the first meeting of the Board of Peace, a structure organized and promoted by US President Donald Trump. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a close ally of the American leader, has already announced his attendance at the meeting, which will take place in Washington on February 19. Hungary is, in fact, one of the countries that has already joined the Board chaired by the US.
Romania has officially received an invitation to join countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Qatar. Bucharest has announced that, after receiving the invitation, it has initiated discussions with the US administration to clarify the compatibility of the Board’s Charter with the international commitments already undertaken by the Romanian state. “The decision on participation will be made following discussions with the US partners on the format of the meeting for countries such as Romania, which are not currently members of the Board but wish to join under the terms of a revised Charter,” explained Nicuşor Dan.
However, the decision is not only related to technical aspects, but also to financial ones, given that permanent membership in the Board of Peace comes with a substantial price tag of 1 billion USD. Moreover, the United States’ position on various aspects of foreign and security policy, such as minimizing the role played by NATO member states during the war in Afghanistan, its reluctance to unequivocally support Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, and Washington’s territorial claims on Greenland, a territory belonging to Denmark, have led the traditional allies of the US not to accept the invitation.
Thus, the United Kingdom announced that it would not join yet, due to concerns about Russia’s possible participation, and France said it did not intend to join “at this stage,” warning that this Board could be given powers that would undermine existing United Nations mechanisms. They were joined by Norway, Sweden, and, more recently, New Zealand, which argued that the initiative conflicts with international law and established multilateral frameworks. In recent days, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has also ruled out his country’s participation due to constitutional issues. Specifically, he said that the Italian Constitution does not allow the country to join an organization led by a single leader. And the Board of Peace will be chaired by Donald Trump himself, who has executive power.
The Board of Peace was initially conceived for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, but at its launch on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, the US president said that the international body would also manage other global conflicts. It is precisely this approach that has led major countries to refuse to participate, fearing that the structure is nothing more than a “private club” and an attempt by the US president to replace the UN, which he has criticized since his first term in office. (MI)
