Mark Carney on Canada's Peace Board Role: No Fee Discussions

While Prime Minister Mark Carney says he has agreed “in principle” to join U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace,” a senior government source tells CTV News there have been no conversations whatsoever about the US$1-billion membership fee. The White House announced last week the official establishment of Trump’s “Board of Peace” — chaired by the president and made up of about a dozen members — with the stated goal of implementing Trump’s peace plan for Gaza. Bloomberg then reported over the weekend that Trump is asking for a $1-billion buy-in from other countries for a permanent seat on the board. Member states that do not pay the fee will be limited to three-year terms on the board, according to a draft charter for the proposed group seen by Bloomberg. Speaking to reporters in Doha, Qatar on Sunday, when asked about the cost of participation and whether he’s concerned the board could undermine the United Nations, Carney said Canada will make “every effort possible” to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. “The president raised it with me a few weeks ago; I said, in principle, ‘yes,’” Carney said of Canada’s potential membership on the board. “Obviously, consistent with what I just said, I will do what I can do, we will do, as Canada, what we can do to achieve those core humanitarian objectives, with respect to the specifics of the Board of Peace.” “We haven’t gone through all the details of the structure, how it’s going to work, what financing is for, etc.,” he added. “And so, we will work through those in the coming days.” A senior government source, meanwhile, tells CTV News that Canada has not been asked to pay anything so far and no conversation about a fee has taken place. When pressed on whether the $1-billion membership fee is “reasonable,” Carney said there are still unanswered questions about how that money will be spent. “Canada wants money to have maximum impact,” he said. “Let me underscore one basic thing about the situation,” he added. “We still do not have unimpeded aid flows, humanitarian aid flows at scale to the people of Gaza. That is a precondition for moving forward on this.” Many details of Trump’s “Board of Peace” remain unclear, including which other countries have been asked to participate, and whether they will. CNN is reporting Russian President Vladimir Putin has also been invited to join the group, according to a spokesperson for the Kremlin. And, according to the Associated Press, the leaders of France, Belarus, and Thailand have also received invitations to join. It’s unclear how many countries Trump hopes to include. French media is reporting French President Emanuel Macron does not intend to accept Trump’s invitation. According to a statement from the White House on Friday, the board will include Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, and World Bank Group president Ajay Banga, among others.