U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been invited to join a proposed Global Peace Council focused initially on Gaza, while also issuing warnings to France over potential trade penalties if it refuses to participate.
Speaking to a reporter in Florida, Trump confirmed that Putin had been formally invited to join the council. Asked whether he had personally requested Putin’s participation, Trump replied, “Yes, he was invited.”
Trump said that countries seeking permanent membership in the council would be required to pay a fee of $1 billion, though he did not elaborate on how the funds would be used or the governance structure of the proposed body.
The Kremlin confirmed on Monday that President Putin had received the invitation. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “President Putin has also received an invitation to join the Peace Council,” adding that Moscow is seeking to clarify “all the fine details” of the proposal with Washington. Peskov did not indicate whether Putin had accepted the invitation.
In parallel, Trump issued sharp warnings to France, threatening to impose 200% tariffs on French wine and champagne imports if Paris declines to join the initiative. Trump said the move would pressure French President Emmanuel Macron to participate in what he described as a global effort to end major conflicts.
When asked about Macron’s reported refusal to join the council, Trump responded dismissively, saying, “Did he say that? Well, nobody wants him because he’ll be leaving office very soon.”
“I will impose 200% tariffs on French wine and champagne,” Trump added. “He’ll join the council, but he doesn’t have to.”
A source close to Macron said on Monday that France currently intends to reject the invitation to join the initiative.
Trump first proposed the creation of a Peace Council in September as part of his plan to end the war in Gaza. Invitations sent to world leaders last week outlined an expanded mandate for the council, extending beyond Gaza to address global conflicts more broadly.
Meanwhile, Trump shared images on his Truth Social platform showing excerpts from messages he said were sent by Macron, which included a French proposal to host a G7 meeting in Paris on Thursday afternoon following the World Economic Forum in Davos. According to the excerpts, Macron also invited Trump to dinner in Paris on the same day.
Trump did not publicly respond to the proposal, and it remains unclear whether he sent a reply. The White House declined to comment on the matter.
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