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As US President Donald Trump held an inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, he expressed his desire to have China and Russia on the board.
Interacting with the reporters, Trump said, "A lot of countries are going through the process of getting on the board... I would love to have China and Russia on the board; they have been invited." Both Russia and China have received the invitation from Trump, but have not announced any decision about joining the board. During his address at the Board of Peace meeting, Trump flaunted his "good relations" with Chinese President XI Jinping "I have a very good relationship with President Xi. I'm going to China in April. That's going to be a wild one. Last time I went to China, President Xi treated me so well," he said. " He gave me a display. I never saw so many soldiers all the same height, exactly the same height. I said, if they put their helmets down, you could have played pool on the top of their heads. And it was pretty amazing," he added. Trump also said that the newly formed "Board of Peace" would "almost be looking over" the United Nations to ensure it functions effectively. "The Board of Peace is going to be looking over the United Nations and making sure it runs properly," Trump said during the meeting, adding that the US would help improve the UN's facilities and financial stability. "We're going to make sure its facilities are good. They need help, and they need help money-wise. We're going to help them money-wise, and we're going to make sure the United Nations is viable," he stated. During the meeting, Trump announced that the United States would contribute USD 10 billion to the Board of Peace to support its mission of resolving global conflicts and said the board would initially focus on reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip. The Board of Peace, according to Trump, is aimed at strengthening international conflict resolution mechanisms and enhancing cooperation to address global crises. Delegations from more than 40 countries participated in the meeting, but key United Nations Security Council members, including France, Britain, Russia, and China, did not join. While the European Union has opted not to take a seat on the board, as reported by Al Jazeera. India has also been invited to the board but has not announced its decision. President Trump first proposed the Board of Peace in September as part of a second phase of the US-brokered 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan. The Board will oversee a "founding Executive Board", which comprises Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US special envoy Steve Witkoff, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, as reported by CNN. (ANI)
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