Trump withdraws invitation to Canada to join ‘Board of Peace’ after Carney criticism
Washington: United States President Donald Trump has withdrawn the invitation extended to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to join the newly proposed “Board of Peace,” escalating tensions between the two leaders amid growing diplomatic friction.
The move came after the Carney-led Canadian government indicated it would not pay to join the body, which was formed by Trump with the stated aim of addressing global conflicts, as reported by the BBC. Carney had also drawn international attention earlier this week for describing a “rupture” in the US-led global order, comments that appeared to challenge Washington’s traditional leadership role.
In a post on Truth Social late Thursday night, Trump addressed Carney directly, stating that the Board of Peace was withdrawing its invitation for Canada to join what he described as “the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled.”
The relationship between the two leaders has been strained since Carney’s remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he said middle powers that had prospered during an era of American dominance needed to recognise a changing global reality. He warned that compliance with major powers would not necessarily protect smaller states from aggression.
Trump publicly mocked Carney’s comments the following day and said Canada “lives because of the United States.” Reactine to this, a sharp rebuttal came from the Canadian prime minister, who said Canada thrives because it is Canadian.
The Board of Peace was initially conceived to oversee the rebuilding of war-affected Gaza, but its charter does not limit its mandate to the Palestinian territory. The document describes the body as an international organisation aimed at promoting stability, restoring lawful governance and securing lasting peace in regions affected or threatened by conflict, and will follow the international law.
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NATO, others turn down US call for help in Hormuz: Trump
Washington (PTI): President Donald Trump on Tuesday said NATO and most of US' other allies have rejected his calls to help secure the Strait of Hormuz as the war with Iran entered the third week.
In a social media post, Trump asserted that Iran’s military has been “decimated” and he no longer felt the need for assistance from NATO countries or anyone else.
Last week, Trump had sought help from European nations and others who depend on oil supplies transiting from the Hormuz Strait to safeguard the critical waterway.
“The United States has been informed by most of our NATO “Allies” that they don’t want to get involved with our Military Operation against the Terrorist Regime of Iran, in the Middle East, this, despite the fact that almost every Country strongly agreed with what we are doing, and that Iran cannot, in any way, shape, or form, be allowed to have a Nuclear Weapon,” the US President said in a post on Truth Social.
Iran's attacks on Gulf nations and its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil is transported, have sparked increasing concerns of a global energy crisis and are unnerving the world economy.
“I am not surprised by their action, however, because I always considered NATO, where we spend Hundreds of Billions of Dollars per year protecting these same Countries, to be a one-way street — We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need,” Trump said.
He said Australia, Japan and South Korea too have turned down his call for help.
“Fortunately, we have decimated Iran’s Military – Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti-Aircraft and Radar is gone and perhaps, most importantly, their Leaders, at virtually every level, are gone, never to threaten us, our Middle Eastern Allies, or the World, again,” Trump said.
He said that given the scale of recent military successes, the US no longer "need" or desires assistance from NATO countries, adding that it never relied on such support in the first place.
Speaking as President of the United States, the "most powerful" country in the world, "we do not need" help from anyone, Trump said.
The West Asia conflict began on February 28 when the US-Israeli combine conducted airstrikes on Iran.
The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, has effectively been shut following the US and Israel attack on Iran and Tehran's sweeping retaliation.
However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said that from Tehran's "perspective", the strait is "open". "It is only closed to Iran's enemies, to those who carried out unjust aggression against our country and to their allies.”
Earlier in the day, a second Indian-flagged LPG tanker, Nanda Devi, reached the country after safely sailing from the war-hit Strait of Hormuz. On Monday, the first ship, Shivalik, reached Mundra port in Gujarat.
As of now, 22 Indian vessels remain on the west side and two on the east side of the strait.
Indian authorities are in constant touch with all the relevant stakeholders in the region to secure the safe passage of the remaining ships, officials said.
