Putin Pressures Trump: Will Join Peace Board Only if Russia Secures Key War Concessions

Vladimir Putin has moved to turn Donald Trump’s new “Board of Peace” into leverage in negotiations over Ukraine.

The Kremlin tyrant hopes only if it secures a better deal to end the war.

Vladimir Putin stated Russia would join the Board of Peace only with key war concessionsCredit: Reuters The Kremlin is studying the offer to join the Board of Peace, cooling Trump’s claimsCredit: AFP Residents walk past a heavily damaged apartment building following shelling in eastern Ukraine, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continuesCredit: Alamy

Putin said Moscow was prepared to pay the $1 billion fee for permanent membership of the Board of Peace using frozen Russian assets, while making clear the offer was tied to wider negotiations with Washington.

Speaking at a meeting of Russia’s Security Council, Putin said he had instructed the Foreign Ministry to study the proposal and coordinate Russia’s position with partners, stopping short of formally accepting the invitation.

“We could send 1 billion US dollars from Russian assets frozen during the previous US administration to the Board of Peace,” he explained.

The move appeared aimed at exploiting Donald Trump’s push for a rapid peace settlement, as the US president ramps up efforts to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.

Despite inflicting tens of billions of dollars in damage on Ukraine, Putin is seeking to avoid paying for the destruction, instead offering frozen Russian assets to secure influence over Trump’s peace initiative rather than funding Kyiv’s reconstruction.

The comments came as Donald Trump said he was “reasonably close” to brokering a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine and claimed both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were ready to deal.

Trump said in Davos that he planned to meet Zelensky in Switzerland and that Putin had accepted an invitation to join his Board of Peace initiative.

But the Kremlin quickly cooled the claim, saying Moscow was still studying the offer.

“I think I can say that we’re reasonably close,” Trump said.

“We have to get it stopped… I believe they’re at a point now where they can come together and get a deal done. And if they don’t, they’re stupid.”

The Board of Peace was announced by the White House last week alongside approval of a National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, one of four bodies intended to oversee the enclave’s transition as a ceasefire moves into its second phase.

The ceasefire halted Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed more than 71,000 people and injured over 171,000 since October 2023, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Around 60 world leaders have been invited to join the board.

Membership is free for the first three years, but permanent seats cost $1 billion, a sum Putin said Russia could provide from assets frozen by the United States.

Putin said Russia was prepared to pay, marking a move likely to spark opposition from Kyiv, which argues frozen Russian assets should be used to rebuild Ukraine.

Putin, quoted by Russian news agencies, also played down the board’s relevance to Ukraine, saying it appeared “mainly designed” to deal with a Middle East peace settlement.

Trump shakes hands with Putin on the tarmac of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15, 2025Credit: AFP A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was announced on October 10Credit: Getty

The invitation to Moscow has raised eyebrows in Europe, with Putin potentially joining EU and Nato leaders on a US-led body while Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nears its fourth anniversary on February 24.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also been invited and said Britain was open to playing a constructive role, while Israel has objected that the Gaza governance plans were not coordinated with Jerusalem.

Behind the scenes, tensions remain high.

, while the US has warned of possible major Russian air attacks and stepped up sanctions pressure on Moscow.

In a sharply worded statement, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the proposal amounted to “a true axis of war,” arguing it would lead to further militarisation by providing Ukraine with long-term military assistance, security guarantees and the possible deployment of a multinational force on Ukrainian territory.

The rejection came as the US embassy in Kyiv warned American citizens to be prepared to take shelter, citing intelligence suggesting a “significant air attack may occur at any time in the next several days,” adding to fears of renewed Russian strikes.