Pope Leo XIV will not be joining US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace,” the Vatican’s top diplomat said Tuesday, adding that the United Nations should be left to handle crisis situations. The board, which will be chaired indefinitely by Trump, was originally designed to oversee reconstruction of Gaza. However, its objective has since expanded to make the board a global peacekeeping body. While Italy and the European Union have said they plan to attend the board as observers, the cardinal said the Vatican would not “participate in the Board of Peace because of its particular nature, which is evidently not that of other States.”The Vatican is not the only state to have declined invitations. Diplomats, officials and world leaders have expressed concerns over the expanded remit of the board, Trump’s indefinite chairmanship and the potential damage it could cause to the UN’s work.

Source: Egypt Independent February 18, 2026 13:54 UTC