Davos, Switzerland (EFE).- United States President Donald Trump presented his Peace Board on Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, announced further negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and revealed his administration’s plans for what he calls “the new Gaza.”
Initially, Zelenskyy stated that he would not travel to Switzerland unless required to sign documents negotiated by Kyiv with its American and European partners. However, he traveled to Davos on Thursday to meet with Trump the following day.
After the meeting, which lasted just under an hour, Zelenskyy announced that his negotiating team had finalized an agreement with Washington by which the US will offer Ukraine security guarantees once the war ends.
The presidents must sign the document, which then will be sent to the parliaments of the two countries for approval.
Zelenskyy also announced that Kyiv’s negotiating team will meet with delegations from the US and Russia in the United Arab Emirates on Friday and Saturday to make progress toward negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine.
Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, traveled to Moscow on Thursday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. They plan to then move to Abu Dhabi to hold new meetings on military and economic issues.
After leaving the meeting, Trump said it had been “good” and that he had not discussed the Peace Board with the Ukrainian leader.
Trump’s Peace Board launch ceremony
Trump initially conceived the body to oversee his peace plan for Gaza, but now wants to extend it to other global conflicts.
Approximately 20 heads of state and government support the board, including the presidents of Argentina and Paraguay, as well as the prime minister of Hungary.
To accomplish it, the main auditorium of the Davos Congress Center was transformed to accommodate seating for the rulers of all the founding countries of the board. A table was set up where the rulers signed the foundational document one by one.
Several governments with a dubious democratic trajectory or that are undeniably authoritarian signed up for the Peace Board from the beginning, including Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE.
During the ceremony, Kushner, also Trump’s son-in-law, presented the new phase of the peace plan for Gaza. He told attendees that they are working with the new government to demilitarize Hamas, which he said is necessary for the enclave’s reconstruction.
Urban development plans for “New Gaza”
The envoy presented a series of slides explaining the master plan that the US administration is proposing for Gaza, a plan that starts in Rafah, in the southern part of the territory, and moves north.
One of the slides shows the Gaza territory divided into zones representing planned tourist developments, industrial complexes (including data centers), sports facilities, parks, agricultural land, and residential areas.
Another slide shows “The New Gaza,” featuring skyscrapers along the coast, a transportation hub, and industrial developments in technology and energy.
Trump highlighted the Gaza Strip’s economic potential, given its location on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. EFE
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