US President Donald Trump's administration was questioned after Bloomberg quoted a draft charter stating that countries wishing to be members of a "peace council" would have to pay a fee of $1 billion. According to Bloomberg, Mr. Trump is expected to hold the role of the first chairman of this council.
The draft charter cited by Bloomberg states that each member state will have a term of no more than 3 years from the date the charter takes effect and the extension depends on the president's decision. The proposal also shows Mr. Trump's central role in the council's operating mechanism.
The White House reacted to the information by calling the article "misleading". In a statement posted on social network X, the White House affirmed that there is no minimum membership fee to participate in the "Peace Council".
According to the White House, this initiative is only a proposal for permanent membership for partner countries that express deep commitment to peace, security and prosperity.
The US State Department did not comment directly on the 1 billion USD figure. Instead, the agency cited previous posts on social media by Mr. Trump and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff related to the council, which did not mention any fees.
Conflicting information between the draft content being cited and the official response has sparked debate surrounding the purpose, mechanism, and transparency of the peace council initiative proposed by Mr. Trump.
