President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that while Ukraine has been invited to the new US-led “Peace Council,” he struggles to see how his country could sit on the same body as Russia and Belarus.
“Well, you know, I received the invitation. Diplomats are working on it,” Zelensky said, speaking to the journalists on Messenger.
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“Honestly, Russia is our enemy. Belarus is their ally. For me, it’s very hard to imagine how we could be together with Russia in one council. Russia is a war council. And Belarus is with them – specifically the Lukashenko regime.”
The “Peace Council,” unveiled by the White House last week, is designed as an international body to control Gaza after a ceasefire.
It would be chaired by President Donald Trump and include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s Middle East and Kremlin envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
According to a draft charter seen by Bloomberg, Trump would serve as the inaugural chair, deciding which countries join. Each member state gets one vote, but all would require the chair’s approval. Membership terms last up to three years, with permanent seats available to countries contributing $1 billion or more.
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has reportedly accepted Trump’s invitation. Belarusian state media described the move as recognition of Lukashenko’s “personal merits” and stated that the country hopes the council will eventually address other international conflicts.
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Russia, which launched its 2022 invasion of Ukraine through Belarusian territory, has also reportedly been invited. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russian leader Vladimir Putin is reviewing the proposal.