Video: Putin offers $1bn from frozen US assets for seat on Trump’s “Board of Peace”
Russian President, Vladimir Putin
Abdullateef Fowewe
Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that Russia is prepared to contribute $1 billion from its assets frozen by the United States to join United States President Donald Trump’s newly proposed “Board of Peace.”
The offer, made public in a video statement marks the first firm commitment to Trump’s initiative aimed at reshaping Middle East peace efforts as an alternative to the United Nations.
Putin directly referenced the frozen funds—sanctioned by the Biden administration in 2022 over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—positioning the donation as a pragmatic use of seized assets.
“Could contribute one billion dollars to the Board of Peace from the frozen assets—the assets frozen by the previous administration,” Putin said in the clip, with English subtitles overlaying the Russian audio.
He added, “And the remaining funds from the funds frozen in the United States could be used to rebuild territories that suffered during hostilities.”
Trump unveiled the “Board of Peace” earlier this month as a private-public consortium to oversee Gaza’s post-conflict reconstruction and broader Middle East stability.
Permanent membership requires a $1 billion pledge, with participants gaining oversight roles in rebuilding projects.
Putin’s acceptance makes him the inaugural backer, potentially thawing frosty US-Russia relations amid ongoing tensions.
