Vatican declines to join Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’Reuters, WASHINGTONThe Vatican will not participate in US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” initiative, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s top diplomatic official, said on Tuesday, adding that efforts to handle crisis situations should be managed by the UN. Pope Leo, the first US pope and a critic of some of Trump’s policies, was invited to join the board last month. Under Trump’s Gaza plan that led to a fragile ceasefire in October last year, the board was meant to supervise Gaza’s temporary governance. Many rights experts say that Trump overseeing a board to supervise a foreign territory’s affairs resembled a colonial structure. Countries have reacted cautiously to Trump’s invitation, with experts concerned that the board could undermine the UN.

Source: Taipei Times February 18, 2026 18:17 UTC