US President Donald Trump, surrounded by world leaders, declared that the war in Gaza was “really nearing an end” at the signing ceremony for a peace commission in the Gaza Strip.
But with many countries lacking representation, Trump singled out Spain from the podium in his criticism of defense spending, saying, “They want a free ride.”
Representatives from the United Arab Emirates, Hungary and Pakistan attended the World Economic Forum ceremony in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday. The board is intended to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza.
This is the person who participated in the autograph session.
Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Minister of Prime Minister of Bahrain Nasser Bourita, Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Javier Milei, President of Argentina Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Armenia Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan Rosen Zhelyaskov, Bulgarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Hungarian Prime Minister Prabowo Subianto, President, Indonesian Foreign Minister Ayman Al Safadi, Jordanian President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kazakhstan, President Josa Osmani Sadru, Prime Minister of the Kosobo Mian Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan Santiago Peña, President of Paraguay Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, President Faisal bin Fah of Qatar. Minister of Foreign Affairs Luhan Al Saud, Saudi Arabia Hakan Fidan, Turkish Foreign Minister Khaldun Khalifa Al Mubarak, UAE Special Envoy Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of Uzbekistan Gombozabin Zandanshatar, Prime Minister of Mongolia
Many countries did not sign up, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy and other European countries, and some explicitly rejected the invitation.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC on Thursday that Britain “will not be one of the signatories today”, citing concerns about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invitation to join.
According to Spanish media, Spain did not send a representative to sign the deal, but invited Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to participate “under consideration.”
DAVOS, SWITZERLAND – JANUARY 22: US President Donald Trump holds up his signature on the Founding Charter during the signing ceremony of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Peace Commission on January 22, 2026 in Davos, Switzerland.
Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin received Trump’s invitation to join the peace group on Monday and was “considering all the details of this proposal,” but no representatives attended Thursday’s signing event.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said in an interview with CNBC on Wednesday that the U.S. government will talk with President Putin about joining the peace commission. “We have to go see him on Thursday, but it’s the Russians who are asking for that meeting,” Witkoff said.
France, like Germany, reportedly declined an invitation to join the board, according to a report in Der Spiegel, citing a Foreign Ministry document. “We need more time,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told state broadcaster RAI on Wednesday. “There’s work to be done, but my position certainly remains open,” he said, as reported by Reuters.
Belgium is also not participating, the country’s Foreign Minister Maxime Prévost said in a statement posted on Thursday. “We want a common and coordinated European response. Like many European countries, we have reservations about this proposal,” he said.
According to local reports, Sweden, Slovenia and Norway also declined the invitation.
The peace commission was approved by the UN Security Council last November. Originally established to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza, it now has a much broader mandate, including promoting global stability and conflict resolution around the world.
Gaza reconstruction plan is shown on screen after US President Donald Trump presents his “Peace Commission” at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland on January 22, 2026.
Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images
Israel did not take part in the signing event, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also expected to attend, according to reports.
“We want to work with peace committees, councils and commissions to ensure that they carry out their responsibilities,” Palestinian National Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said Wednesday when asked about the peace committee.
“But we also want government agencies to continue preparing for recovery efforts,” he said at a WEF event in Davos.
Last week, the White House approved the creation of an “executive committee” to “operate the peace commission’s vision.”
These are the members of the Executive Committee.
Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State Steve Witkoff, US Special Envoy for the Middle East Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law Sir Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister Mark Rowan, Apollo CEO Ajay Banga, World Bank President Robert Gabriel, national security advisor
—CNBC’s Holly Ellyatt and Sam Meredith contributed to this report.
