Russia will examine Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ invite: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Moscow would examine U.S. President Donald Trump’s invitation to join his proposed “Board of Peace.”

Speaking during a televised government meeting, Putin said the foreign ministry had been instructed to review the documents and consult with Russia’s strategic partners before responding.

“The Russian foreign ministry has been charged with studying the documents that were sent to us and to consult on the topic with our strategic partners,” Putin said. “Only after that will we be able to reply to the invitation.”

Putin added that Russia could pay the proposed $1 billion fee for permanent membership using Russian assets frozen under the previous U.S. administration. He said those funds could also be used to help reconstruct territories damaged by the fighting once a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine is concluded.

Invitations to join the board have reportedly been sent to dozens of world leaders, each asked to contribute $1 billion in exchange for a permanent seat.

The initiative was initially presented as a mechanism to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction, but its charter does not appear to limit its scope to the Palestinian enclave. The proposal has drawn criticism from some U.S. allies, including France, who see it as potentially competing with the United Nations.