Trump pulls Canada’s invite to US ‘Board of Peace’ amid growing diplomatic row

US President Donald Trump has withdrawn an invitation for Canada to join his newly created Board of Peace, escalating an already tense diplomatic standoff between the two North American allies.

In a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday evening, Trump said the board was rescinding its offer to Canada, addressing the message directly to Prime Minister Mark Carney. No explanation was given for the decision.

The move follows a turbulent week in US-Canada relations, during which Carney warned that the world was experiencing a “rupture” in the US-led international order and his government ruled out paying to join the new body.

Carney’s office did not immediately respond to the withdrawal. Only days earlier, the prime minister had said he was prepared to join the board “in principle”, while stressing that major questions remained unanswered about its governance, funding and role in Gaza.

The Board of Peace was formally launched by Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday. The US administration has promoted it as a new international organisation designed to help resolve conflicts, with Trump holding broad decision-making powers as its chair.

While initially framed as a mechanism to oversee a ceasefire in Gaza and post-war reconstruction following the Israel-Hamas conflict, the board’s draft charter makes no explicit reference to the Palestinian territory. Critics say its structure appears intended to replace or bypass functions traditionally held by the United Nations.

According to the White House, around 60 countries have been invited to join, with roughly 35 having signed up so far. Representatives from more than a dozen nations attended a charter-signing ceremony in Davos, though Canada was absent.

The UK has also declined to participate for now, citing concerns over the possible inclusion of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Canadian officials had expressed reservations about the board even before the invitation was revoked. Carney said unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza would be a “precondition” for any Canadian involvement, while his government rejected the idea of paying for a seat.

A US official previously said countries could secure permanent membership by contributing $1bn, though payment was not formally required. Canada’s finance minister, François-Philippe Champagne, made clear earlier this week that Ottawa would not pay to join.

The withdrawal comes amid an exchange of increasingly sharp rhetoric between Trump and Carney, linked to a wider dispute over trade and US tariffs on Canadian goods.

In a speech at Davos earlier this week, Carney warned that the growing use of tariffs, the weakening of international institutions and the abandonment of shared rules by major powers threatened global stability. Though he did not mention Trump by name, the remarks were widely seen as a critique of the US president’s foreign policy.

Trump responded a day later with a scathing rebuttal, accusing Canada of ingratitude and claiming the country depended on the United States for its survival.

“They should be grateful to us,” Trump said. “Canada lives because of the United States.”

Carney fired back on Thursday, rejecting the claim and asserting Canada’s independence.

“Canada doesn’t live because of the United States,” he said. “Canada thrives because we are Canadian.”

With IANS inputs