US President Donald Trump has revoked Canada’s invitation to join his newly formed Board of Peace, escalating a public dispute with Prime Minister Mark Carney following sharp exchanges between the two leaders this week.
Trump announced the decision late Thursday in a post on Truth Social addressed directly to Carney, saying the board was withdrawing its invitation for Canada to participate. He did not provide a reason for the move.
Canada had previously indicated it would accept the invitation in principle, but officials said Ottawa would not pay the one billion dollar membership fee Trump has said permanent members must contribute.
Carney’s office did not immediately respond to Trump’s statement. The prime minister had said last week that Canada was open to engaging with the initiative, while making clear it would not pay to join.
The Board of Peace is being promoted by the White House as a new international body aimed at resolving global conflicts. Trump would serve as chairman for life and hold broad decision making authority under its proposed charter.
While the initiative was initially presented as a mechanism to help end the war in Gaza and oversee reconstruction, its founding document does not explicitly mention the Palestinian territory. Critics say the structure could overlap with or weaken existing United Nations roles.
European officials have expressed skepticism about the scope and governance of the board.
European Council President Antonio Costa said EU leaders had serious doubts about the body’s design, particularly its compatibility with the UN Charter.
“We have serious doubts about a number of elements in the charter of the Board of Peace related to its scope, its governance and its compatibility with the UN Charter,” Costa said after an EU leaders’ summit in Brussels.
Despite those concerns, Costa said the EU was prepared to work with the United States on Gaza under certain conditions, describing the board as a possible transitional administration.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Spain had declined an invitation to participate. France has also said the board’s current framework conflicts with its international commitments, while the United Kingdom has raised concerns about the possible inclusion of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
None of the other permanent members of the UN Security Council have formally joined.
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According to the White House, roughly 35 countries have agreed to join the board out of about 60 invited. Those include Argentina, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar and Jordan.
Trump has said permanent members would be asked to contribute financially to fund the board’s operations.
Trump’s decision came days after Carney delivered a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos that received a standing ovation. In the address, Carney warned that the US led global order was under strain and urged middle powers to work together against economic coercion by larger states.
Although he did not name Trump directly, the remarks appeared to draw a sharp response.
Speaking in Davos a day later, Trump told attendees that Canada benefits heavily from its relationship with the United States.
“Canada lives because of the United States,” Trump said, adding that Carney “should be grateful.”
“Canada doesn’t live because of the United States,” he said. “Canada thrives because we are Canadians.”