In a surprising turn of events, Donald Trump has extended an invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin to join his newly formed ‘Board of Peace,’ tasked with overseeing the reconstruction of Gaza. This comes despite Putin’s ongoing military actions in Ukraine. According to Kremlin officials, Putin received the proposal through U.S. diplomatic channels and is currently reviewing the details before making a decision. “We anticipate further communication with the American side to clarify the specifics,” Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov mentioned to reporters on Monday.

Last week, Trump officially launched the peace committee as a component of his strategy to resolve the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Under Trump’s leadership, the committee will manage Gaza’s governance. However, European leaders have been taken aback by Trump’s audacious move to charge nations a $1 billion fee for a permanent seat on the peace board. After inviting leaders from over 60 countries to join the Gaza Board of Peace, which aims to oversee the disarmament of Hamas, the U.S. informed these nations of the hefty financial contribution required. European leaders have been cautious in publicly endorsing the initiative, worried it might undermine the United Nations.

The strained relations between European leaders and the Trump administration have been met with enthusiasm by commentators on Russian state television. The growing rift between Western Europe and the U.S. is seen as advantageous for Moscow. One pundit on Russian state TV expressed delight, exclaiming, “This is truly tremendous for Russia!” Meanwhile, Trump has intensified his efforts to persuade Denmark and other European allies to cede control of Greenland to the United States. The Daily Mail has reached out to the White House seeking comments on these developments.

Trump’s invitation to Putin comes after the Kremlin leader has spent four years waging a bloody full-scale invasion of Ukraine that has killed hundreds of thousands and destroyed large parts of the Eastern European nation. The White House also sent out invitations to the countries of Egypt, India, Turkey, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Canadian Prime Mark Carney has announced that his country will join Trump’s peace board but will not pay for the $1 billion fee for the permanent seat. Only three countries have accepted Trump’s invitation as of Monday morning: the leaders of Hungary, Kazakhstan, and Vietnam.

‘Hungary’s efforts for peace are being recognised. President Trump has invited Hungary to join the work of The Board of Peace as a founding member. We have, of course, accepted this honourable invitation,’ said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The executive committee of the peace board will also include former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, along with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and other Trump allies. Blair, however, has distanced himself from Trump’s demand that countries pay for permanent membership. The former British prime minister refused to endorse the fee and his spokesperson said he is not involved in determining the board’s membership.