Undeserved Recognition for Russian Fuhrer and His Henchman

Would you appoint Al Capone to be general manager of Fort Knox?

Would you name Adolf Hitler to be the spiritual leader of a synagogue?

Russian President Vladimir Putin, known for war crimes in Ukraine and elsewhere, and Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko have been invited to join President Donald J. Trump’s Board of Peace, the committee that will oversee the reconstruction of Gaza, his spokesman revealed on Monday, according to a variety of news sources including CNN.

The inherent conceptual contradiction defies morality and logic.

“This milestone perfectly aligns with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 (2025), which endorsed President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan and welcomed the establishment of the Board of Peace. The Board of Peace will play an essential role in fulfilling all 20 points of the President’s plan, providing strategic oversight, mobilizing international resources, and ensuring accountability as Gaza transitions from conflict to peace and development,” the White House stated on January 16.

Speaking to reporters during a regular media briefing, Dmitry Peskov said: “President Putin also received through diplomatic channels an invitation to join this Board of Peace.” He said the Kremlin is now reviewing the invitation and “hoping to get more details from the US side.”

“President Putin has indeed received an offer through diplomatic channels to join this Board of Peace. We are currently studying all the details of this proposal,” Peskov said, according to Russian state media outlet TASS. "We hope to contact the U.S. side to clarify all the details."

Belarus’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirmed receiving an invitation, saying in a post on X that President Donald Trump sent Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko a letter proposing the country become a founding member of the Board of Peace.

"We are ready to take part in the activities of the Board of Peace, taking into account and hoping that this organization will expand its scope and authority far beyond the mandate proposed in the initiative," the ministry said.

Putin’s invitation comes at a time when Putin shows no sign of ending his war in Ukraine, in which hundreds of thousands have been killed and Russian troops have carried out atrocities against civilians. Putin has repeatedly rejected proposals of ceasefire along the current frontlines.

This distinction raises many questions. Are Trump and Putin allies and friends as they seem to be? Will Putin continue to instruct Trump on how he should react to international calamities? Will Ukraine fare better or worse? Will Trump continue to say that Russia threatens Greenland and the USA? Will international terrorists be absolved of their crimes?

Signs of discontent have already started to appear. Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee issued a statement on Sunday warning that the body proposed by Trump “would have a mandate wider than the implementation of the Gaza Peace Plan.”

“The United Nations has a unique mandate to maintain international peace and security, and the legitimacy to bring nations together to find common solutions to shared challenges. While it may be imperfect, the UN and the primacy of international law is more important now than ever,” she said in a statement.

Putin’s appointment to the board would mark an extraordinary return to the global stage for the Russian dictator, who has been mostly shunned from international cooperation projects since he ordered the latest full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The Kremlin’s obvious involvement in the conflict between Israel and Hamas has been limited, although it did offer to mediate soon after the war started, touting its ties to both Israel and Hamas. Members of the committee will receive a permanent seat if they pay $1 billion, according to a US official, who told CNN that, while there was no requirement to contribute funds to the board, members who do not make the $1 billion payment will have a three-year term. All funds raised will go toward rebuilding Gaza, the official said, adding that “there will not be exorbitant salaries and massive administrative bloat that plagues many other international organizations.”

Apparently dictators, murderers and cutthroats can buy their way into good graces of the international community.