Trump: Some countries need parliamentary approval to join Board of Peace

US President Donald Trump acknowledges that some countries cannot join his Board of Peace right away, as they need parliamentary approval to join an international body that Washington appears keen on using to bypass the United Nations.

“Some need parliamentary approval,” Trump says in remarks to reporters at the beginning of his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

However, he insists that many countries are interested in joining, including ones that were not invited to do so.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff said earlier today that 20 to 25 leaders had already accepted invitations to join the Board of Peace, which is slated to hold a signing ceremony on Thursday in Davos.

Trump and Sissi thank one another for their parts in ending the Gaza war last fall, and the Egyptian president urges his American counterpart to remain engaged on the issue so that the full US 20-point plan for ending the conflict is implemented.

Trump reiterates his belief that there is already “peace in the Middle East,” downplaying challenges posed by Hamas and Hezbollah.

“If they don’t get rid of the guns, they’ll be very unhappy people. [They’re] going to have no choice. They will be eliminated,” Trump says of Hamas.