Trump’s Dictator Pal Wants a Discount on His $1B Peace Grift
“If there was something worth paying a billion dollars for, I would pay it,” the Belarusian president said.
Samuel Corum, Contributor/Getty Images
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko has delivered a deeply underhanded endorsement of President Donald Trump’s newly concocted “Board of Peace” just as the American president prepares to hawk the project to world leaders in Davos.
Lukashenko, a close Putin ally, devoted a segment on state-controlled television Tuesday to formally accepting Trump’s invitation to serve on the peace board.
The authoritarian leader, who has ruled Belarus since 1994, admitted during the signing that his first thought when hearing of the $1 billion fee for a permanent seat on the board was, “Nobody will just pay money like that.”
Donald Trump suggested to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that his peace plan will "turn all of these Dreams into reality."
Contributor/Contributor/Getty Images
He went on to inadvertently trash the board by listing all the ways to avoid paying the buy-in fee, which he noted only applies to those who want to stick around for more than three years.
“A billion is needed if in three years you will still want to work,” he said, translated from Russian. In his case, he said, he is counting on an entirely different way to receive a discount: “If you cooperate and work well in the name of peace, then you can continue working even without a billion. I’m focusing on the second option.”
Sign Up for The Swamp Newsletter
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Of critics who’d knocked him for coughing up the membership fee, he said, “It’s all a lie,” suggesting such criticism was only a way to “hurt” him and bring down his approval rating.
Lukashenko is a staunch ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Getty Images
Lukashenko also appeared to scoff at the idea that Trump’s Board of Peace, which is ostensibly meant to “promote stability” and restore “lawful governance” in Gaza, should come with a steep price tag, telling a reporter, “If there was something worth paying a billion dollars for, I would pay it.”
“If they want to receive my services, like those of others who were invited, and also receive a billion dollars… Even Trump wouldn’t allow himself such a thing,“ Lukashenko said.
This is the less than imposing venue in Davos, Switzerland, for the entirely made-up signing ceremony for Trump's Board of Peace.
Anadolu/Harun Ozalp/Anadolu/Getty Images
Trump, 79, announced the creation of his already controversial “Board of Peace” last Thursday. Among the board’s executive members are Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
According to the group’s draft charter, obtained by Bloomberg, Trump retains full control over who is admitted to the organization in his role as its inaugural chairman, and all majority-decided votes are subject to his final approval.
“Each Member State shall serve a term of no more than three years from this Charter’s entry into force, subject to renewal by the Chairman,” the draft reads. “The three-year membership term shall not apply to Member States that contribute more than USD $1,000,000,000 in cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force.”
President Donald Trump threatened 200 percent tariffs on French wine on Monday if France does not join his "Board of Peace" after also threatening eight European countries with 10 percent tariffs if a deal is not reached for the U.S. to purchase Greenland.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
In addition to Belarus, the United Arab Emirates has joined the group, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced his acceptance of Trump’s invitation in a post on X. Russia’s Vladimir Putin was also invited to join the organization, despite Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine—a conflict Trump has said he could end “quickly.”
French President Emmanuel Macron rejected the invitation to join the board, his office said Monday, citing concerns that it could weaken an already fracturing NATO alliance.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Sign in or create an account
Login dialog
Loading comments…