London (The Palestine Telegraph Newspaper) 22 January
2026 – The United Kingdom announced it will not join the US-initiated Board of
Peace due to concerns over Russian participation. Foreign Secretary David Lammy
cited alignment issues with UK foreign policy positions on Russia. The decision
follows President Trump's signing ceremony in Davos establishing the
international body.
The UK government stated on 21 January 2026 that it would
hold off on joining the Board of Peace, a new diplomatic initiative launched by
US President Donald Trump in Davos. Foreign Secretary David Lammy communicated
the position during a House of Commons statement, emphasising concerns
regarding Russia's prospective involvement. The Board aims to mediate global
conflicts with initial focus on Middle East tensions.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office confirmed the decision
reflects London's commitment to existing sanctions against Moscow. The
announcement came hours after multiple world leaders signed the charter during
the World Economic Forum. UK officials attended Davos as observers but
refrained from endorsement.
Foreign Secretary's Commons Statement
Credit: Jose Sarmento Matos/Bloomberg/Getty Images
David Lammy addressed Parliament at 2:30 PM local time, stating,
"The United Kingdom will not join the Board of Peace at this time due to concerns over Russian participation."
He noted the board's structure includes nations with
divergent Ukraine policy positions from Britain's. Lammy affirmed continued
engagement through bilateral channels and established formats like the Quartet.
The Foreign Secretary detailed five specific concerns:
Russian veto power proposals, Syria coordination overlaps, Iran sanctions
divergence, Arctic security implications, and OPCW compliance records. He
referenced 1,200 UK sanctions designations against Russian entities since
February 2022. Lammy committed £250 million additional Ukraine military aid for
2026.
Commons questions from Conservative shadow Tom Tugendhat
elicited confirmation of NATO primacy maintenance. SNP's Brendan O'Hara secured
assurances on UN pathway prioritisation. Liberal Democrat Ed Davey received
pledge for monthly Ukraine policy updates.
Downing Street Position and Rationale
Prime Minister Starmer met Lammy post-statement, releasing a
readout emphasizing"principled foreign policy consistency." Number 10
spokesperson confirmed no timeline for reconsideration pending Russian
withdrawal from Ukrainian territory. The position aligns with G7 Hiroshima
commitments on sanctions unity.
Cabinet Office assessment circulated to ministers outlined
four participation scenarios, with current path preserving leverage. Starmer
referenced 650 British national insurance number activations by Russian
nationals since 2024 elections. Defence Secretary John Healey affirmed £2.2
billion sovereign capability investment unaffected.
Prime Minister's Questions featured Starmer stating,
"We support peace efforts compatible with our values and international law."
Labour backbencher support reached 92 per cent per whip
counts.
Board of Peace Structure and Membership
Credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP
US President Trump signed the executive order creating the 15-member board during Davos ceremony on 21 January. Confirmed participants include Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, India, Brazil, and Nigeria. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed Moscow's seat acceptance via Telegram channel.
Board mandate covers conflict mediation, quarterly
reporting, and annual summits rotationally hosted. Washington headquarters
established with Geneva field office. $500 million initial State Department
funding allocated. Trump named retired General James Mattis as chair during
signing remarks.
UK observer status permits information access without voting
rights. France and Germany expressed reservations pending constitutional
reviews. China confirmed participation through Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
Historical UK-Russia Diplomatic Context
UK expelled 153 Russian diplomats following 2018 Salisbury
attack. 2022 invasion prompted 1,800 sanctions and £8 billion asset freezes.
Magnitsky sanctions targeted 72 Russian officials. Northern Ireland Protocol
implementation included Russian trade monitoring.
2024 intelligence assessments documented 450 GRU operations
across Europe. MI6 Director Richard Moore testified on hybrid threat
persistence to ISC. Foreign Office maintained travel advisories for 28 Russian
regions.
Ukraine military training programme graduated 45,000
personnel through 2025. RAF conducted 320 drone surveillance missions over
Black Sea.
Transatlantic Alliance Coordination
UK Ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson briefed State
Department on 21 January evening. Pentagon confirmed NATO defence spending
coordination unaffected. MI6 station Rome liaised with French DGSE on Syria
track alignment.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt acknowledged
UK's position during briefing. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz scheduled
call with Healey on 23 January. Congressional Ukraine Caucus chair Brian
Fitzpatrick welcomed clarity.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated,
"Participation remains voluntary across democracies." 28 US senators
signed letter supporting UK approach.
European Union Alignment Discussions
Foreign Secretary Lammy participated in Brussels EU foreign
ministers meeting post-Davos. 22 member states endorsed coordinated
non-participation pending Russia exclusion. Von der Leyen Commission tasked
trade impact assessment.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz praised UK leadership during
Berlin press event. French President Macron referenced "strategic
alignment" in Paris remarks. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani
confirmed observer coordination mechanism.
Nordic foreign ministers issued joint statement mirroring UK
concerns. Baltic presidents convened emergency summit affirming Article 5
commitments.
Domestic Political Reactions
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch welcomed decision as
"principled stand." Reform UK's Nigel Farage criticised as
"globalist posturing." Lib Dems tabled Early Day Motion garnering 52
signatures.
City of London briefings confirmed no derivatives market
impacts. British Chambers of Commerce reported neutral trade outlook.
Confederation of British Industry scheduled Ukraine business forum 26 January.
Public opinion polling showed 68 per cent support per YouGov
tracker. Daily Telegraph editorial praised consistency.
Ukraine Government Response
Kyiv Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha expressed gratitude via
X post. Zelenskyy Office confirmed trilateral UK-France-Ukraine summit
scheduling. Ambassador Barbara Woodward reiterated £3 billion annual support at
UNSC.
Defence Minister Rustem Umerov detailed £1.2 billion weapons
packages. Ukrainian military reported 12,000 Russian casualties week of 15
January.
Russian Foreign Ministry Reaction
Maria Zakharova stated during Moscow briefing, "UK
isolation confirms Western disunity." Lavrov scheduled call with Lammy
counterpart 25 January. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted "open
door remains."
RT editor Margarita Simonyan claimed "London's
irrelevance exposed." Russian Embassy London issued visa processing
advisory.
US Administration Perspective
President Trump commented during Air Force One remarks,
"UK makes own choices, board open to all peacemakers." JD Vance
Senate office confirmed NATO Article 4 consultations scheduling. State
Department European Bureau drafted 15 bilateral approaches.
US Embassy London issued fact sheet clarifying voluntary
framework. Congressional Progressive Caucus praised multilateral inclusion
model.
Commonwealth and Five Eyes Coordination
Australia, Canada, New Zealand confirmed
aligned non-participation. Five Eyes intelligence fusion centres maintained
Ukraine data sharing. Commonwealth Heads meeting Goa endorsed coordinated
diplomacy.
Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly scheduled London
visit 27 January. Australian PM Anthony Albanese affirmed AUKUS unaffected.
UN and Multilateral Track Continuity
UK Permanent Representative Barbara Woodward briefed UNSC on
22 January. Pedersen Syria envoy welcomed observer input. OPCW technical
secretariat confirmed UK funding continuity.
Geneva human rights council participation reaffirmed. OSCE
Minsk monitors received £15 million extension.
Economic and Trade Ramifications
HM Treasury assessment projected zero GDP impacts. £42
billion UK-Russia pre-invasion trade eliminated. City Minister Tulip Siddiq
confirmed sanctions evasion monitoring enhancement.
FCA regulated £18 billion Russian asset repository. Lloyd's
of London maintained war risk exclusions.
Timeline of UK Decision-Making Process
9 January: FCDO assessment circulated to ministers.
15 January: NSC principals meeting endorsement.
20 January: Starmer-Lammy final review.
21 January: Commons statement delivery.
22 January: Allied coordination briefings.
Parliamentary adjournment debate scheduled 29 January.