Donald Trump Withdraws Canada’s Invitation To Board Of Peace After Spat With Mark Carney

US President Donald Trump has withdrawn Canada’s invitation to join his newly created Board of Peace, escalating an already sharp public exchange with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

In a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday evening, Trump said the board was revoking its invitation to Canada. “Please let this Letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada’s joining,” he wrote, without explaining the reason. Carney’s office did not immediately respond.

The move came just days after Carney said he would accept the invitation “on principle”. However, Ottawa had also made it clear that Canada would not pay the $1 billion (£740 million) membership fee that Trump has said permanent members must contribute to fund the body.

A new club with old frictions

The Board of Peace, chaired by Trump, is being promoted by Washington as a new international organisation to resolve global conflicts. Under its proposed charter, Trump would serve as chairman for life and enjoy wide decision-making powers.

The body was initially seen as a mechanism to help end the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and oversee reconstruction. But the draft charter does not mention Gaza or the Palestinian territories. Instead, it appears to mirror roles currently carried out by the United Nations, raising concerns among many countries about duplication and intent.

According to the White House, around 60 countries have been invited to join the board, with about 35 already signing up. Those agreeing to participate include Argentina, Belarus, Morocco, Vietnam, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kosovo, Hungary, Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia.

None of the other permanent members of the UN Security Council China, France, Russia and the UK have committed so far. The UK has raised concerns over the inclusion of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose forces invaded Ukraine in 2022. France has said the charter in its current form is “incompatible” with its international commitments, particularly its UN membership.

Allies uneasy, Europe divided

European scepticism has been growing. European Council President Antonio Costa said leaders had “serious doubts” about the board’s scope and governance, as well as its compatibility with the UN Charter. Speaking after an EU leaders’ summit in Brussels on Friday, Costa said the bloc was still “ready to work together with the US” on a Gaza peace plan, with the board acting as a transitional administration.

Not everyone in Europe is convinced. After the summit, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez confirmed that Spain had declined the invitation to join, underlining the unease surrounding Trump’s initiative.

Trump’s decision to withdraw Canada’s invitation followed a pointed exchange between the two leaders earlier this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. In a speech there, Carney warned of a “rupture” in the US-led global order and urged “middle powers” to cooperate against economic coercion by “greater powers”. He did not name Trump, but his remarks drew a standing ovation.

Trump responded a day later, also speaking in Davos. He said Canada received many “freebies” from the US and “should be grateful”. “Canada lives because of the United States,” he said. “Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”

Carney hit back on Thursday during a speech in Quebec. “Canada doesn’t live because of the United States. Canada thrives because we are Canadians,” he said, while also acknowledging the “remarkable partnership” between the two countries. Trump later appeared to respond again by formally withdrawing Canada’s Board of Peace invitation.

The exchange highlights rising tensions between the two close allies. While Carney has openly criticised Trump since he took office nine months ago, Canada remains heavily dependent on the US, which takes more than three-quarters of its exports.

Key Canadian sectors such as automobiles, aluminium and steel have been hit by Trump’s global tariffs, although the impact has been softened by his adherence to an existing North American free trade agreement. Talks on revising that deal are expected to begin this year, with Trump repeatedly insisting that the US does not need Canadian products.

Trump has also made repeated remarks about annexing Canada and recently posted an image on social media showing Canada, Greenland and Venezuela covered by the American flag.

In his Quebec speech, Carney said Canada was under no “illusions” about the state of global relations. “The world is more divided. Former alliances are being redefined and, in some cases, broken,” he said. Canada, he added, must “defend our sovereignty (and) secure our borders” while acting as “a beacon” in an unsettled world.

For now, Trump’s latest move signals that the Board of Peace is not just a diplomatic experiment, but also a stage for his personal style of politics one that is already testing long-standing alliances.