The White House is preparing to host the first meeting of President Donald Trump’s so-called “Peace Board” on February 19 in Washington, Axios reported, in what is expected to be a high-profile gathering of global leaders aimed at addressing conflicts worldwide.
The meeting, which will also serve as a fundraising event for the reconstruction of Gaza, is still in its early stages and could be subject to changes, the report said. The event is planned to take place at the U.S. Institute of Peace, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Trump at the White House a day earlier, on February 18. The U.S. administration declined to comment.
Trump launched the Peace Board at the end of January, presenting it as a mechanism to resolve global conflicts. Critics, however, have raised concerns that it could undermine the role of the United Nations. While some Middle Eastern allies have joined the initiative, many Western nations have remained cautious.
A United Nations Security Council resolution passed last November authorized the creation of a stabilization force in Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire has been in place since October. Human rights experts have criticized the board for lacking Palestinian representation and for resembling a colonial-style governance structure.
The Peace Board is organized in three tiers. The top tier, chaired by Trump and including his family, advisors, and wealthy business associates, forms the founding board. A second, larger executive board will focus on Gaza reconstruction, though it also excludes Palestinian decision-makers. The lead envoy for Gaza will be Bulgarian diplomat Nikolai Mladenov, who will oversee a committee of Palestinian operatives responsible for on-the-ground work.
Mladenov, a seasoned mediator with nearly two decades of experience in the Middle East, previously served as the UN Special Coordinator for the peace process in the region and as UN envoy for Iraq. He has been described by Israeli and Palestinian officials as “a highly honest intermediary” who can be relied upon in complex negotiations.
Born into a prominent family in Bulgaria, Mladenov studied international relations in Sofia before pursuing a master’s degree at King’s College London. He began his political career in Bulgaria’s conservative GERB party and later served as a member of both the Bulgarian and European parliaments. Throughout his career, Mladenov has managed complex negotiations, including attempts to unite Syrian opposition factions and coordinating counterterrorism efforts with Israeli authorities following attacks on Israeli tourists in Bulgaria.
Despite a largely respected record, his name appeared in the Pandora Papers in 2021 for establishing a Seychelles-based offshore company, which he said was never operational.
Observers note that the Peace Board faces significant challenges. Critics question whether the initiative, with limited international buy-in and no Palestinian leadership representation at its highest level, can make meaningful progress in Gaza.
Mladenov has argued that his experience in the Balkans, a region marked by shifting borders and ethnic conflicts, equips him with a nuanced perspective on entrenched disputes. “This is not a conflict where you can simply draw a line,” he told the New York Times in 2021. “It is emotional. Understanding the history, the people, and the stakes is crucial.”
Besides Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov, the Trump administration’s “Board of Peace” includes Balkan participation from Albania and Kosovo, while Greece and Croatia have declined the invitation, and other Western Balkan states were not offered membership.