The UK and a host of other European nations are holding off joining Donald Trump’s new club over fears of some of the shady characters he has invited. Your Daily Star takes a look at a few of them here
Sir Keir Starmer has refused to take a place on Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” over fears Vladimir Putin might be part of the committee. The Russian despot said Moscow was consulting its “strategic partners” before deciding whether to commit to the plan.
Ex-British PM Tony Blair and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu will also sit on the board, which was initially expected to be a small group of world leaders overseeing the ceasefire in the Middle East, despite leading wars in the region.
But it appears to have evolved into something more wide-reaching with Trump suggesting it could replace the UN as a global peace-keeper, telling reporters it “hasn’t been very helpful” and “has never lived up to its potential”.
And the US President unveiled some members of his Board of Peace at the World Economic Forum in Davos as he told world leaders its full of people “he likes”.
If Putin does accept a place on the board, he would join other despots who lead authoritarian regimes, such as Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán, who has been condemned by EU leaders for building an “illiberal democracy”.
The strongman leader, dubbed the Viktator by critics, has been branded racist and has overseen a crackdown on LGTBQ+ rights in the country as well as cosying up to China and Russia.
Leaders of at least 50 nations have confirmed receiving invitations and 35 had agreed to join, including Belarus, whose president Alexander Lukashenko has been referred to as “Europe’s last dictator” and has often relied on security forces stay in power since 1994.
Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said on Wednesday the country’s president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, would join the board. He governs a military-backed regime with severe restrictions on protest and political organization.
And in a joint statement, eight Muslim-majority countries – Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkiye, Indonesia and Jordan, as well as the UAE, Egypt and Pakistan – confirmed they would be joining the Board of Peace.
Jordan is ruled by King Abdullah II, who has significant executive power and political rights are restricted for opponents. Meanwhile, Qatar is lead by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who practices Absolute monarchy and political parties are banned.
Qatar’s human rights record came under the spotlight when the Arab state hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2022, with critics accusing the country of sportswashing its reputation of poor treatment of migrant workers, women and LGBTQ+ people.
And political rights are nonexistent in Saudi Arabia, where de factor ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman oversees the country accused of having journalist chopped up in its embassy as part of a brutal crackdown on dissent.
The United Arab Emirates, lead under a federal monarchy by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has faced criticism from human rights organisations and was last year criticised in a US Department of State report for serious restrictions freedoms in the country.
Turkey’s president Recep Erdoğan previously served as PM from 2003 before being elected President in 2014. During his time in power, critics have raised concerns over the centralisation of power, jailing of opponents and control over the media in the country.
At least five countries – France, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Slovenia – have confirmed they will not join the board.
Speaking on Thursday, foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK would discuss with allies the “different supportive role” it could play in the Gaza peace process as she faced questions about the prospect of joining the group.
Speaking in Davos on Thursday, Trump said: “I think we can spread out to other things as we succeed with Gaza. We’re going to be very successful in Gaza. It’s going to be a great thing to watch.
“And we can do other things. We can do numerous other things. Once this board is completely formed, we can do pretty much whatever we want to do, and we’ll do it in conjunction with the United Nations.”
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