The Dutch have also declined to take part, while a Danish diplomat, like others granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic, told POLITICO that Copenhagen was not even invited to join.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is considering whether to take part, said Tuesday it was “very difficult to imagine how we and Russia would be together on a board.”
Putin’s potential role has also provoked Poland, where President Karol Nawrocki, a Trump ally, said in an interview with Republika on Thursday, “If I were to sit in the same format with Vladimir Putin, I would have no difficulty telling him exactly what I think.”
Clambering aboard
However, Nawrocki has not yet made an official decision. MPs from the rightwing PiS party with which he’s closely linked have argued that it is better for Poland to have a seat at the table than not, and that the U.N. is a spent force. Nawrocki said Wednesday after meeting with Trump that he had explained to the U.S. president that he would require government and parliamentary approval before he could commit. “Trump understands this perfectly,” he added.
Germany has welcomed an invitation from Trump but is currently on the fence. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is still considering her options, with the topic due to be discussed at a European Council summit Thursday.
While London may not have accepted, Britain will have a voice on the executive committee of the Board of Peace in the form of Tony Blair, the former prime minister who will sit alongside U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.