Germany's Merz rejects Trump's Board of Peace - in its current form

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has rejected the idea of joining US President Donald Trump's so-called Board of Peace in its current form but has shown himself generally open to new dialogue formats with the United States.

"We are, of course, ready to explore other forms, new forms of cooperation with the United States of America," he said at a press conference in Rome on Friday following German-Italian government consultations.

Trump established his Board of Peace during the World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alpine town of Davos.

The board is seen by many Europeans as a competitor to the United Nations and as such has been roundly rejected.

Contrary to initial expectations, it is not a body solely dedicated to overseeing the peace process in the Gaza Strip.

Rejection "for constitutional reasons"

Merz stressed that he had previously expressed his personal willingness to participate in such a body to Trump weeks ago but said that what it has now become cannot be accepted by Germany in its current structures "for constitutional reasons."

"Newformats" for peace possible

Nevertheless, Merz said that Berlin is ready to cooperate with the US when it comes to "finding new formats" that bring peace closer "in various regions of the world."

"And I don't want to limit that just to Gaza and the Middle East. It can, of course, also be Ukraine," Merz said.