President Donald Trump has threatened to hit French wine and champagne with a 200 percent tariff after France signaled it would not join his proposed “Board of Peace” for Gaza. “I’ll put a 200 percent tariff on his wines and champagnes, and he’ll join, but he doesn’t have to join,” he told reporters. France’s agriculture minister Annie Genevard called the threat “blackmail” and said it was shocking because it sought to force compliance. A senior French official said Paris does not intend to join the board because its charter extends beyond Gaza and could undermine the United Nations.
According to a Bloomberg report, nations seeking a permanent seat must pledge at least $1 billion, and the board’s charter says the three‑year term doesn’t apply to members that contribute more than $1 billion in the first year. Sources say more than ten countries have already signed on, though it’s still unclear which nations are being asked to pay the fee or which have actually agreed to do so.
Britain is also balking with Prime Minister Keir Starmer citing the board’s billion‑dollar price tag and the idea of sitting alongside Russia as his objections to the plan. Downing Street expressed concern that Vladimir Putin and Belarusian leader Aleksandr being invited sends the wrong message, with Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper telling Parliament the Russian president “doesn’t belong in any organization with peace in the name.” British ministers warn the board could supplant the United Nations and say its financial obligations and legal framework remain unclear.
The Trump administration unveiled the Board of Peace last week as part of its blueprint to oversee the Gaza cease-fire and reconstruction. The Board would supervise Gaza’s demilitarization and reconstruction under a 20‑point plan announced by the White House. It is structured as a three‑tier panel chaired by Trump and would elevate U.S. and European figures such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former British prime minister Tony Blair, while Palestinians would be relegated to municipal positions. Moscow confirmed that President Vladimir Putin had been invited and was seeking clarification. Israel has also received an invitation but has not publicly committed. Critics argue that including states engaged in active conflicts while excluding Palestinian leaders undermines the board’s credibility and risks entrenching Western and Israeli interests.
Trump’s tariff threat is part of a pattern. Earlier this month he wrote to Norway’s prime minister to complain about being passed over for the Nobel Peace Prize, saying he would no longer feel obliged to “think purely of peace” and that the world is not secure unless the United States controls Greenland. He argued Denmark could not defend the island and, when several European nations objected to his plans, slapped a 10 percent tariff on their exports and warned the levy would rise if they did not relent.
Using trade pressure to coerce partners risks economic blowback. A 200 percent tariff would effectively price French wine out of the U.S. market and could prompt retaliatory measures. European ministers have warned they will not be blackmailed and have discussed deploying anti‑coercion tools. France’s refusal to join the board therefore pits Washington’s unilateralism against a Europe intent on protecting multilateral institutions. As trade threats mount and crises from Gaza to Greenland remain unresolved, Trump’s “Board of Peace” faces skepticism even before its first meeting.
The Board of Peace is slated to be formally constituted at a signing ceremony in Davos as early as Thursday, and the official list of member states could be released in the coming days. The Board is expected to convene voting meetings at least once a year, with decisions being made by a majority vote, one for each participating nation. However, both the agenda, and veto power, will rest with the Board’s chairman, who will have “the final authority regarding the meaning, interpretation, and application of this Charter.” President Trump, serving as the chairman, has boasted on social media that it will be “the greatest and most prestigious board ever assembled.”
Alan Mosley is a historian, jazz musician, policy researcher for the Tenth Amendment Center, and host of It’s Too Late, “The #1 Late Night Show in America (NOT hosted by a Communist)!” New episodes debut every Wednesday night at 9ET across all major platforms; just search “AlanMosleyTV” or “It’s Too Late with Alan Mosley.”
