US President Donald Trump inaugurated his Board of Peace to lead efforts at maintaining a ceasefire in Israel's war with Hamas and said working with the Board of Peace is going to be a good thing for the United Nations. He said that the United Nations has great potential, but they have not lived up to it.
UN has great potential, but they have not lived up to it: Trump
“I'm not sure I want that, but it's going to do great work with Gaza, and maybe other things, you know, it could be beyond Gaza. And we'll work with the United Nations. I've always said the United Nations has great potential, but they have not lived up to it. I say eight wars, and I never spoke to them. You'd think I would have spoken to them a lot. But the United Nations has great potential. I think working with the Board of Peace is going to be a good thing for the United Nations."
When asked about whether he speaks to Venezuela opposition leader María Corina Machado, Trump said, "Yeah, I did... We have a very good relationship. She's a good woman, a very nice woman. She's been through a lot, and at the same time, I'll tell you, they're doing a very good job in Venezuela. So, it's interesting. I get along with both sides. I get along with everybody but the media. The fake news that I don't get along, but I get along with everybody..."
Trump says Venezuela not doing well now because of what's gone on for years
He adds, "First of all, we have to take in a lot of money. We have to get that back. Right now, they're (Venezuela) not living well because of what's gone on for years. It's years of socialism and worse... But we're going to start drilling very soon. We have the biggest companies in the world. We have them, and they're going to be going in. They're all negotiating right now... It's going to make the United States a lot of money, and it's also going to make Venezuela a lot of money. It's also going to bring down oil prices even further... Prices are coming down very rapidly, including groceries and just about everything. they're starting to come down even more..."
Trump at Davos seeks momentum for future of Gaza Strip
Donald Trump in his speech at the World Economic Forum sought to create momentum for a project to map out a future of the war-torn Gaza Strip that has been overshadowed this week, first by his threats to seize Greenland, then by a dramatic retreat from that push. “This isn't the United States, this is for the world,” he said, adding, “I think we can spread it out to other things as we succeed in Gaza.”
The event featured Ali Shaath, the head of a new, future technocratic government in Gaza, announcing that the Rafah border crossing will open in both directions next week. That's after Israel said in early December it would open the crossing, which runs between Gaza and Egypt, but has yet to do so.
Shaath, an engineer and former Palestinian Authority official from Gaza, is overseeing the Palestinian committee set to govern the territory under US supervision. The new peace board was initially envisioned as a small group of world leaders overseeing the ceasefire, but it has morphed into something far more ambitious — and scepticism about its membership and mandate has led some countries usually closest to Washington to take a pass.
Trump tried not to let those not participating ruin his unveiling party, saying 59 countries had signed onto the board — even though heads of state, top diplomats and other officials from only 19 countries plus the US actually attended the event. He told the group, ranging from Azerbaijan to Paraguay to Hungary, “You're the most powerful people in the world."
Trump has spoken about the board replacing some UN functions and perhaps even making that entire body obsolete one day. But he was more conciliatory in his remarks on the sidelines of the forum in the Swiss alps.
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