Vatican says will not partake in Trump's 'Board of Peace'

The board, of which Trump is the chairman, was initially designed to oversee the Gaza truce and the territory's reconstruction after the war between Hamas and Israel.

But its purpose has since morphed into resolving all sorts of international conflicts, triggering fears the US president wants to create a rival to the United Nations.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin said that the UN manages the world's top crises.

"For us, there are... some critical issues that should be resolved, let's say," he said.

"That is, at the international level, it is above all the UN that manages these crisis situations," he said. "This is one of the, one of the points on which we have insisted."

Since Trump launched his "Board of Peace" at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, at least 19 countries have signed its founding charter.

Countries have been asked to pay $1 billion for permanent membership, and the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country invaded Ukraine in 2022, has drawn criticism.