Trump’s Peace Plan, Prince Andrew Arrested & Ukraine Talks – Up First News Briefing
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump convened the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace today at the newly renamed Donald J. Trump U.S. Institute for Peace in Washington, D.C., as member states reportedly pledged over $5 billion toward reconstruction efforts in Gaza. The meeting, attended by heads of state and top diplomats from approximately 40 countries, including the European Union, comes as the future of the ceasefire Trump brokered last October remains uncertain.
According to Trump, the Board of Peace was created to oversee the implementation of his Gaza ceasefire plan. The $5 billion pledge, announced by Trump on his Truth Social account on February 15, will be formally detailed at today’s event, with officials expected to reveal which nations have committed funds for rebuilding the territory, which has suffered extensive damage in recent conflict.
However, the funds are intended to support the Trump administration’s vision for a new Gaza under Israeli control, rather than directly aiding the Palestinian population currently living there, according to NPR reporting. Israeli forces currently occupy over half of Gaza, leaving approximately 2 million Palestinians in dire conditions in the remaining territory governed by Hamas. The $5 billion commitment represents only a fraction of the total funds needed for comprehensive reconstruction.
The meeting also comes as the U.S. Is negotiating with Russia over the war in Ukraine, with Moscow offering $14 trillion in deals if the U.S. Lifts sanctions. Russia is reportedly attempting to appeal to the Trump administration’s business-oriented approach to diplomacy, suggesting that lifting sanctions would unlock American investment in resources like rare earth minerals and energy. Ukraine continues to reject demands to surrender territory.
Alongside the Gaza discussions, Trump is simultaneously pursuing financial claims against his own government, arguing that past investigations and the leak of his tax returns caused him harm. He has tasked his own political appointees with deciding whether to approve these claims, which a White House official described as “unfinished business” for the president.
The Board of Peace meeting also follows a recent controversy surrounding a post on Trump’s Truth Social account depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, prompting accusations of racism. The White House deleted the post, and Trump attributed it to an aide. The incident has raised concerns about the increasing presence of extremist rhetoric within federal messaging, with some researchers pointing to the Department of Homeland Security as a source of such themes, including the characterization of immigration as an “invasion.”
The Board of Peace’s agenda includes discussion of a key component of Trump’s ceasefire plan: the deployment of thousands of international troops into Gaza to establish a stabilization force and support local police. The meeting concluded with a photo of attendees, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Vice President JD Vance, and Jared Kushner, who has been instrumental in the effort.