WARSAW, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Poland and Italy will not join U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, Warsaw and Rome said on Wednesday, adding to the list of Washington’s allies remaining on the sidelines.
Initially designed to cement Gaza’s ceasefire, Trump sees the Board of Peace taking a wider role in resolving global conflicts which some countries fear means it could become a rival to the United Nations.
This along with the fact that Russia and Belarus were invited to join means many Western countries have taken a cautious approach.
“Taking into account certain national doubts regarding the shape of the board, under these circumstances Poland will not join the work of the Board of Peace, but we will analyse it,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk told a government meeting.
“Our relations with the United States have been and will remain our priority, so if the circumstances change that will enable joining the work of the Board, we do not rule out any scenario.”
Tusk was due to meet nationalist rival President Karol Nawrocki later on Wednesday at a National Security Council meeting, where the Board of Peace was on the agenda.
Meanwhile, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also confirmed on Wednesday that Italy would not sign up.
“We cannot join the Board of Peace because there is an insurmountable constitutional barrier on Italy’s side,” he told Sky TG24 news channel.
“However, if we need to work on reconstruction efforts aimed at ensuring peace in the Middle East, we are ready to do so,” he added.
Under Italy’s constitution, the country can only join international organisations on equal terms with other states — a condition that Rome says is not met by the board’s current statute which gives Trump extensive executive powers.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is close to Trump, said last month she had asked him to amend the terms of the Board of Peace to enable Italy to join.
(Reporting by Alan Charlish, Pawel Florkiewicz in Warsaw, Crispian Balmer in Rome, Editing by William Maclean)
