Trump Pulls Canada’s Board of Peace Invite
Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Bonhomme Carnaval mascot raise their legs together in a traditional carnival kick at the beginning of a Cabinet planning forum at the Citadelle in Quebec City, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (Jacques Boissinot /The Canadian Press via AP)
President Trump has rescinded Canada’s invitation to join the “Board of Peace,” a new international initiative he unveiled Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
In a Truth Social post addressed to Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump wrote Thursday evening: “Please let this Letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada’s joining, what will be, the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled, at any time.”
The Board of Peace is being promoted as a multibillion-dollar effort to help rebuild Gaza during a political transition. Countries were offered permanent seats on the board in exchange for a $1 billion contribution. Trump said the board would also address other global conflicts. According to reports, more than 30 nations have signed on, including Argentina, Belarus, Israel, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. France has declined, citing concerns that parts of the plan conflict with the UN charter, while the UK has expressed unease over Russia’s potential participation. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he is considering joining the board.
Canada had not confirmed its participation. Earlier this week, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne told the CBC that Ottawa had no intention of paying for a permanent seat, saying, “Canada would not pay if we were to join.”
The withdrawal comes after a heated public exchange between Trump and Carney. In a speech at Davos Tuesday, Carney earned a standing ovation when he warned that major powers, including the U.S., are turning economic ties into “weapons” and called on “middle powers” to coordinate more closely. “The old order is not coming back,” he said.
Trump responded the following day from the same stage, telling Carney Canada should be “grateful” to the U.S. He said, “Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.” By that time, Carney had already left Davos, the CBC reports.
Speaking to his cabinet Thursday, Carney pushed back, describing the U.S.-Canada relationship as a “remarkable partnership” spanning economics, security, and culture—but emphasizing Canada’s independence. “Canada doesn’t live because of the United States. Canada thrives because we are Canadian,” he said. “We are masters in our home, this is our own country, it’s our future, the choice is up to us.”
Carney highlighted Canadian values as essential to maintaining sovereignty. “We can show that another way is possible, that the arc of history isn’t destined to be warped toward authoritarianism and exclusion; it can still bend toward progress and justice,” the AP reports.
Hours later, President Trump withdrew Canada’s invitation to the Board of Peace.
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