The Board of Peace, established by US President Donald Trump to settle the conflict in Gaza, is set to be held by the White House on February 19. However, neither Russian leader Vladimir Putin nor his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko is expected to attend, despite having received invitations.
Kremlin Spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told local Russian media Vedomosti that “such a trip is not on the president’s schedule.” Lukashenko will also be unable to attend, his press secretary Natalia Eismont said, emphasizing that the reasons include the leader’s busy schedule and “potential logistical difficulties that may arise due to illegal sanctions, primarily from the EU.”
According to Nikolay Silayev, a leading researcher at the MGIMO Institute of International Relations, relations between Belarus and the US have improved in recent months, but not enough for Lukashenko to travel to that country. Moreover, US personal sanctions against him and his family members remain in force, as do European sanctions.
On January 20, Lukashenko became the first leader to publicly formalize his decision to join Trump’s Board of Peace on camera.
The expert added that Belarus’s key ally, Russia, and its key partner, China, are not overly enthusiastic about the US leader’s peace organization, and it is not yet clear what will come of this venture. Lukashenko has dealt with five US presidents during his time in office, so he has “no reason to rush,” Silayev emphasized.
There are still many uncertainties about how the Board of Peace will function. Putin is also unlikely to attend the first meeting, Andrey Kortunov, an expert at the Valdai International Discussion Club, noted. According to the UN, the organization’s goals focus on Gaza, but even there, important issues such as the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the disarmament of Hamas remain unresolved.
Meanwhile, Trump is trying to expand the body’s functions to include Venezuela and Ukraine. However, most of America’s allies are refraining from participating, while most of Russia’s neighbors in the post-Soviet space have agreed to join. For Moscow, though, this is quite acceptable given the attempt to normalize relations between Russia and the US, Kortunov stressed.
Earlier this month, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, has also stated that Kremlin representatives do not plan to take part in the first meeting of the Board of Peace, scheduled for February 19, with the very topic of the Board still being studied by the Russian foreign ministry. In an interview with RTVI. “The topic of the Board is still being studied by the Russian Foreign Ministry.”
Russia to skip the first Board of Peace meeting was also made public by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, in response to a TASS reporter’s question.
According to Zakharova, “work to formulate Moscow’s position on the Board of Peace is ongoing,” but expressed doubts, saying Russia would not send delegates to the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace. “Russia will not take part in the upcoming Board of Peace meeting,” she said at a news briefing.
President Vladimir Putin stated earlier that Russia is ready to spend $1 billion from assets frozen in the US on the Board of Peace. He said Moscow was willing to do so even before it decided whether or not it would join the initiative.
On January 22, representatives of 19 countries signed the charter of the Board of Peace on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos as a part of efforts toward a settlement in the Gaza Strip. Washington later said additional states had joined the body.
The Board of Peace was created in accordance with an agreement between Israel and the radical Palestinian movement Hamas to administer Gaza, but it is also expected to work on preventing and resolving conflicts in other regions. The first meeting of the Council is scheduled for February 19, 2026, in Washington.