MADRID, Spain — Spain will not take part in the Board of Peace initiative launched by US President Donald Trump to tackle global conflicts, saying the decision was consistent with its belief in multilateralism and the United Nations system.
“We appreciate the invitation, but we decline,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez tells reporters after an EU summit in Brussels.
Washington says the body will help broker and monitor ceasefires, organize security arrangements, and coordinate rebuilding in places emerging from war. The concept stems from Trump’s Gaza peace plan.
Missing from the board’s launch ceremony held at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland’s Davos on Thursday were traditional US allies such as Canada, Britain, and all European Union members except Hungary and Bulgaria.
Sanchez cites consistency with Madrid’s commitment to international law, the UN, and multilateralism as the main reasons it was declining to participate.
Sanchez also says the Board of Peace did not include the Palestinian Authority.
Israel has joined the board, along with Middle Eastern countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Friday, January 23, 2026
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
