Keir Starmer risks new explosive row with Donald Trump after Labour snubs President's Board of Peace signing ceremony

She told BBC News: "We won't be one of the signatories today, because this is about a legal treaty that raises much broader issues."

Chancellor Friedrich Merz will also not be in attendance, with a spokesman for the German Government saying: "We are examining this proposal and will certainly respond accordingly in due course."

The Kremlin confirmed Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was studying the proposal to join the proposed Board of Peace and would reply in due course.

Mr Putin had said the invitation to join was only under consideration, in contradiction to President Trump's comments hours earlier, as the US President told an audience in Davos: "[Putin] was invited. He’s accepted."

President Trump has invited dozens of world leaders to join his initiative aimed at resolving global conflicts, although diplomats say the move could harm the work of the United Nations.

White House officials said about 35 world leaders have committed so far to the board.

According to the Saudi Foreign Ministry, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Kuwait and Qatar have all signed up to the board.

President Trump first proposed the Board of Peace last September when he announced his plan to end the Gaza war.

He later made clear the board's remit would be expanded beyond Gaza to tackle other conflicts worldwide.

The US President will be the inaugural chairman of the board and it will be tasked with promoting peace around the world and working to resolve conflicts, according to a copy of the draft charter.

Member states would be limited to three-year terms unless they pay $1billion each to fund the board's activities and earn permanent membership, the charter says.

The White House has named US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British prime minister Tony Blair and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner as members of the initiative's founding Executive Board.

French President Emmanuel Macron intends to turn down the invitation, as Foreign Minister in Paris Jean-Noel Barrot said the board's charter was incompatible with France’s international commitments, particularly its membership of the UN.

Slovenia, Norway and Sweden also declined, while the Italian Government said they were still assessing.

Canada said it has agreed "in principle" to join but that the details were still being worked out.

Pope Leo, the first US pontiff and a critic of some of President Trump's policies, has been invited to join the board and is evaluating the proposal, the Vatican said on Wednesday.

Israel and Hamas have traded blame for multiple breaches of the October truce after two years of war that devastated Gaza and caused a humanitarian disaster, and remain at odds over the next steps in the 20-point peace plan.

The deal has not progressed beyond the first-phase ceasefire, under which major fighting stopped, some Israeli forces pulled back, and Hamas freed hostages in return for Palestinian detainees and convicted prisoners.

Under future phases whose details have yet to be hammered out, Hamas is supposed to disarm, Israeli forces withdraw further and an internationally backed administration installed to rebuild the ruined, densely populated territory, however no timetable has been set to implement the plan.

Israel says it can only move into the second phase after Hamas hands over the remains of the last Israeli hostage.

More than 460 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers have been reported killed in clashes since the ceasefire took effect.

Israel launched its air and ground war in Gaza after the attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023 that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's assault has killed 71,000 Palestinians, Gaza's health authorities say.