Trump says he's withdrawing invitation for Carney to join his Gaza 'Board of Peace'
Trump launched the new initiative at the World Economic Forum this week
U.S. President Donald Trump said late Thursday that he is withdrawing an invitation for Prime Minister Mark Carney to join his "Board of Peace" initiative for Gaza.
Trump launched the new initiative Thursday at the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland. Its stated aim is to rebuild the war-ravaged territory during a governance-transition period.
Some 35 countries have signed up to join the board, but Carney had not formally accepted Trump's invitation. The prime minister wasn't at the official launch in Davos and instead was attending the first day of a cabinet retreat in Quebec City.
In a post on his Truth Social website, Trump said Carney had been uninvited.
"Dear Prime Minister Carney: Please let this Letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada’s joining, what will be, the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled, at any time," Trump wrote in his post.
A spokesperson from the Prime Minister's Office provided a fairly muted response.
"As the prime minister previously stated, we support the intent of President Trump's pursuit of peace for Gaza," the spokesperson said in an email on Friday evening.
Traditional U.S. allies reject invitation
Some key Middle East powers such as Israel, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have joined Trump's initiative.
But traditional European allies like the U.K. and France have rejected the invitation — with France raising concerns that some of the initiative's elements were contrary to the UN charter.
A government source told CBC News that Canada's initial invitation came via an official letter to Global Affairs Canada while Carney was travelling from China to Qatar last weekend.
The Prime Minister's Office then asked the department for a legal, political and structural assessment, the source said, speaking on condition that they not be named.
Many rights experts and advocates have previously raised concerns about Trump overseeing a board to supervise a foreign territory's governance.
Trump also extended an invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin, a pariah in most international circles following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Putin has said he is considering joining the initiative.
To secure a permanent seat on the board, countries are expected to fork over $1 billion U.S.
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Carney initially said he had agreed in principle to joining the board. But later, he was more cautious, saying there were still unanswered questions about the board's structure and the membership fee.
Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said this week that Ottawa does not plan to pay the hefty fee for a permanent spot.
"There [are] a lot of details to be worked out, but one thing which is clear is that Canada is not going to pay if we were to join the Board of Peace," Champagne said.
Withdrawal of invite follows Davos speeches
Trump's post uninviting Carney from his Gaza initiative comes after the two leaders both delivered speeches at the event in Davos.
In his Tuesday speech, Carney offered a stark assessment of the current state of global affairs, which has garnered international attention.
The prime minister argued that the "great powers" — like the U.S. — are using economic integration as "weapons," and argued that negotiating with those countries bilaterally puts middle powers like Canada at disadvantage.
Carney proposed that like-minded middle powers band together to push their priorities on the world stage, even if it's issue by issue.
In his own World Economic Forum address, Trump complained that Canada should be "grateful" for the U.S.
"I watched your prime minister yesterday. He wasn't so grateful — they should be grateful to the U.S., Canada. Canada lives because of the United States," Trump said Wednesday.
"Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements," Trump said in reference to Carney's speech — though the prime minister had left Davos at that point.
'Canada thrives because we are Canadian'
Carney fired back at the president Thursday afternoon, in an address at his government's cabinet retreat.
"Canada and the United States have built a remarkable partnership. In the economy, in security and in rich cultural exchange. But Canada doesn't live because of the United States," he said.
"Canada thrives because we are Canadian."
The rhetorical spat between the two leaders comes as Canada, the U.S. and Mexico prepare to review the trilateral trade deal, known in Canada as the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), later this year.
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With files from Raffy Boudjikanian