German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he remains open to renewed dialogue with the United States but will not join US President Donald Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace” as it stands. Speaking at a press conference in Rome, Merz repeated that “we are, of course, ready to explore other forms, new forms of cooperation with the United States of America,” but added that the board in its present incarnation cannot be accepted by Germany “on constitutional grounds.”
Germany’s decision aligns it with several traditional US allies that have declined participation, including France, the UK and Spain. By contrast, Saudi Arabia, Hungary and Qatar have confirmed membership. Some observers have argued the board is an attempt to bypass the United Nations.
The body was originally set up under a UN resolution with expectations it would help oversee a Gaza peace process, but it has since evolved and is no longer exclusively focused on Gaza. Merz said Berlin is willing to work with Washington on “finding new formats” to advance peace across different regions, and he did not want to confine cooperation to Gaza and the Middle East, noting such arrangements could also be applied to Ukraine.
Edited by: Wesley Dockery