Trump's proposed 'peace council' and invitations to Putin draw scrutiny ahead of Davos

Current Time aired reports on Jan. 19 about U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a new "peace council," which Trump said he could chair and where he has invited international leaders including Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko.

The broadcast relayed U.S. media reporting that the council’s charter may extend beyond the gas sector and could resemble an alternative international forum; analysts quoted on the program argued that inviting Putin would ease his diplomatic isolation without requiring changes in Russia’s policy toward Ukraine. Political analyst Margarita Zavadskaya said the invitation offers Russia a diplomatic boost "без изменения политики в отношении Украины."

The program noted that media and officials expected discussion of security guarantees for Ukraine and potential reconstruction funding, and that Ukrainian delegations had been working with U.S. counterparts on documents aimed at ending the war. Andrey Kuzakov, reporting on negotiations and the upcoming World Economic Forum in Davos, said Ukrainian officials were coordinating with U.S. counterparts on practical security mechanisms and reconstruction planning.

The broadcast also cited press reporting that the council’s executive committee may include prominent U.S. figures; it quoted a clip attributed to Trump describing the council as "a council not like any other" and said the administration planned announcements at Davos. The program presented both the claim that the council could advance stability in conflict regions and skeptical commentary that the body could grant diplomatic legitimacy without conditioning Russian behavior.