Russian Foreign Minister: Board of Peace Can't Replace the UN

JAKARTA - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed that the Board of Peace (Board of Peace) formed by US President Donald Trump to resolve the situation in Gaza cannot replace the United Nations (UN).

"No. This is a different story," Lavrov said, quoted by Sputnik, Wednesday, February 11.

The US "does not like the UN" regardless of political affiliation, because there "you have to persuade someone" and encourage compromise, Lavrov added.

"They want the mechanism to resemble a peace council. They will say, 'We will manage it,' they will decide, and you gather there and find a solution," he said.

Previously in January, Trump announced the formation of the Peace Council and invited leaders from around 50 countries to join.

Russia said it was ready to send $1 billion (almost Rp17 trillion) in funds from Russian assets previously frozen by the United States to support the Peace Council, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"We can transfer 1 billion US dollars from Russian assets frozen under the previous US administration to the Peace Council," Putin said at a meeting with permanent members of the Russian Security Council on Wednesday (21/1).

He said Russia would respond to the proposal to join the Peace Council after his foreign ministry studied several documents and consulted with Russia's strategic partners.

Putin stressed that Russia has always supported and continues to support every effort to strengthen international stability.