Why Trump invited 'controversial' Putin to peace board despite declaring Russia a threat to US' Greenland dream

US President Donald Trump has invited Vladimir Putin to the ‘Board of Peace’, and has also declared Russia to be a threat to Greenland, which, according to the US President, America must acquire at all costs. Though the two moves seem contradictory, Trump has a reason.

Pressed by CNN about the apparent opposing stances, the two-time US President argued that the new body is designed to have “influential people” that “get the job done”.

“We want everybody. We want all nations. We want all nations where people have control, people have power, that we're never going to have a problem. This is the greatest board ever assembled. And everybody wants to be on it. But yeah, I have some controversial people on it, but these are people that get the job done,” Trump told the reporter while attending the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday.


Also Read | ‘How stupid were we to give Greenland back to Denmark’: Trump doubles down on threat to annex island

He added that influence, not ideology, was the guiding principle behind the invitations. “These are people that have tremendous influence. All babies on the board. So he (Putin) was invited. He's accepted. Many people have accepted. think, I don't know of anybody that hasn't accepted. But it's going to be great,”

A new forum to rival existing institutions

The businessman-turned-politician further said the Board of Peace is envisioned as a powerful international forum intended to succeed where established bodies, such as the United Nations, have failed.

“I think the Board of Peace will be the most prestigious board ever. And it's going to get a lot of work done that the United Nations should have done. And we'll work with the United Nations. But the Board of Peace is going to be special. We're going to have peace,” he said.

Moreover, initially conceived in the context of stabilising Gaza after the conflict between Hamas and Israel, the board’s mandate would extend far beyond the region.

Also Read | Inside Trump’s Board of Peace: Who’s in, who’s out and what it aims to do

“It started off with Gaza, the Middle East. We've got peace in the Middle East. Tremendous peace in the Middle East. Nobody thought that was possible. And that happened by taking out the Iran nuclear threat. Without that, it could have never happened. But the board is going to be, I think, really fantastic. And I think it will be the most prestigious board of any board ever,” Trump explained further.

Participation in the board would come at a steep price, with permanent membership reportedly set at $1 billion.

While several Middle Eastern countries aligned with Trump, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have agreed to join, major US allies such as France and United Kingdom have voiced doubts about the initiative, wary that it could emerge as a competitor to existing global institutions.

Greenland row & Moscow’s advantage

Beyond questions about the board itself, Trump’s "obsession" with Greenland has stirred unease among US allies.

Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, a member of North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and any suggestion of pressure or confrontation risks straining transatlantic ties with European leaders.

Meanwhile, analysts told TOI that these tensions are being watched closely in Moscow.

For years, Russia has sought to exploit divisions within Nato, which it views as a central obstacle to its strategic ambitions. Disagreements involving Greenland could, they argue, weaken trust within the alliance at a moment when Nato remains heavily invested in supporting Ukraine.

According to the TOI report, Russian state television commentators have openly welcomed Trump’s Greenland remarks, describing them as “delivering a catastrophic blow to Nato” and “truly tremendous for Russia.”

The prospect of friction between Washington and European capitals has been greeted with enthusiasm in Moscow.