Germany rejects US-Led Board of Peace, citing constitutional concerns

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he is open to renewed dialogue with the United States but stressed that Germany will not join US President Donald Trump’s so-called Board of Peace in its current form.

“We are, of course, ready to explore other forms, new forms of cooperation with the United States of America,” Merz said at a press conference in Rome on January 23, German media reports.

Merz noted that he had told Trump weeks earlier that he was prepared to participate in such a body. However, he said the initiative has since evolved into something Germany cannot accept in its present structure, citing “constitutional grounds” for Berlin’s refusal.

Germany’s decision places it alongside several longstanding US allies that have already declined to join the board, including France, the United Kingdom and Spain.

By contrast, Saudi Arabia, Hungary and Qatar have confirmed their participation in the US-led body, which some observers view as an attempt to bypass the United Nations.

Contrary to initial expectations, the Board of Peace is no longer seen as a mechanism solely focused on overseeing a peace process in the Gaza Strip, as envisaged when it was created under a UN resolution.

Despite Germany’s decision not to join, Merz said Berlin remains willing to work with Washington on “finding new formats” that could help advance peace in various regions of the world.”

“And I don’t want to limit that just to Gaza and the Middle East. It can, of course, also be Ukraine,” Merz added.

The Board of Peace is a US-led international initiative unveiled at the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos. It was initially presented as a mechanism to support ceasefire efforts, reconstruction, governance and stabilisation in the Gaza Strip as part of President Trump’s peace plan. Since its launch, the initiative has been described as evolving to address a broader range of global conflicts beyond Gaza.

Under the draft charter, participation in the Board of Peace is based on invitations issued by the US president, with standard membership terms set at three years. Countries that contribute at least $1 billion in cash during the first year are granted a permanent seat on the board.

While the charter sets out goals related to promoting stability, lawful governance and sustainable peace in conflict-affected regions, uncertainty remains over how the board would operate in practice and how it would relate to the United Nations. These unresolved issues have fuelled scepticism among some countries that traditionally support UN-led multilateral frameworks.

By Tamilla Hasanova