Trump uninvites Canadian PM to Board to Peace after fiery Davos speech

The White House has withdrawn Canada’s invitation to join the proposed Board to Peace, escalating diplomatic tensions after Prime Minister Carney’s sharp remarks at the World Economic Forum.

The decision followed a contentious Davos address that underscored divisions among U.S. allies over the proposed multilateral body, which aims to coordinate responses to global security and economic shocks.

While several emerging economies, including Indonesia, expressed openness to the initiative, enthusiasm has been far from universal among traditional Western partners.

A number of major powers and long-standing U.S. allies have adopted a cautious posture. Australia, France, Germany and Italy have all signaled reservations, with some capitals opting out entirely. In London, U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper was quoted as saying Britain “won’t be one of the signatories,” pointing to concerns surrounding the inclusion of Russian President Vladimir Putin among those invited to join the board.

Russia and China were both extended invitations, a move that has proven divisive.

Putin told Russia’s security council that the foreign ministry was still reviewing the proposal, suggesting Moscow had yet to make a final decision. Beijing, for its part, has not confirmed whether it intends to participate, maintaining a studied silence amid growing scrutiny of the board’s composition.

The diplomatic fallout came just days after Carney’s high-profile visit to China, where he announced what he described as a broad agreement with President Xi Jinping to reset bilateral relations. The talks focused on easing trade frictions and restoring cooperation after years of strain.

Under the arrangement, Beijing reduced tariffs on several Canadian agricultural exports, offering relief to farmers facing limited market access.

In exchange, Ottawa agreed to expand quotas for Chinese electric vehicles entering the Canadian market under a most-favoured-nation tariff rate of 6.1 per cent.

Officials on both sides framed the measures as confidence-building steps rather than a wholesale shift in trade policy.

At Davos, Carney praised what he called a “strategic partnership” with Xi, arguing that closer ties were essential in navigating a “new world order.”

Observers interpreted the remark as a thinly veiled critique of recent volatility in U.S. foreign policy, marked by abrupt shifts and a disruptive trade agenda under President Donald Trump.

The White House’s response, culminating in Canada’s removal from the Board to Peace invitation list, highlights the widening rift over how allies should engage China and Russia.

As one Western diplomat put it, the episode reflects “a growing struggle to balance unity with national interests” in an increasingly fragmented global landscape.