‘Board of criminals’: Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ hits a snag as Zelenskyy refuses to join, citing the inclusion of aggressors like Russia
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not too keen to join Donald Trump’s highly ambitious “Board of Peace”, and the reason is not him. It is Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin.
On January 20, 2026, an approximately 35-second audio clip emerged online, including social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), in which Volodymyr Zelenskyy could be heard expressing reluctance to join Trump’s “Board of Peace” over Russia’s participation in the same. Before I get any further, I would like to give my two cents on the matter or rather express my frustration over it. First things first, who invites two warring countries to be a part of a committee that is supposed to tackle peace and conflict resolution, and secondly, why is Russia a part of a panel that promotes peace when all it has done in the last couple of years is the exact opposite, by repeatedly attacking Ukraine? Anyways, coming back to where we were, Zelenskyy not only has a problem with Russia’s participation in Trump’s Board of Peace, but he also has an issue with Belarus’ involvement in the panel, as the two countries are allies, which makes them Ukraine’s enemies.
Here’s what Zelenskyy said about receiving an invitation for the Board of Peace from Trump and the United States of America:
We received an invitation. Diplomats are working on this invitation. I think that, honestly speaking… Russia is our enemy. Belarus is their ally. Honestly, it’s very hard for me to imagine how we could sit with Russia in any council. And this isn’t about the peace council. Russia stands for war, and Belarus with them, specifically the Lukashenko regime.”
After Zelesky’s audio clip became viral online, many people have appreciated him for holding his ground despite extreme external pressure from people in positions of power, including Donald Trump, who, I believe, is trying to stop another war, this time between Ukraine and Russia. In that case, if this is what Trump is thinking he will achieve with this endeavour, then I believe he is ignoring a very important point: that the Russian and Ukrainian presidents aren’t fifth graders who will forget about a fight over shared tiffin during lunch break, they are powerful men who have been fighting for years with no resolution in the near future. If anything, Trump’s plans will only make things worse than they are.
In other related news, Israel has joined Trump’s Board of Peace that is focused on rebuilding Gaza. I mean what? Aren’t they the ones bombing it, though? How does this work? I have so many questions.
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