The United Kingdom will not sign up to the "Peace Board" proposed by US President Donald Trump for the time being due to concerns over the possible participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC that the UK had been invited to join the board during a ceremony at the World Economic Forum in Davos, but "we will not be one of the signatories today".
She emphasized that it is a "legal proceeding that raises broader issues" than the initial focus of the initiative on ending the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Countries that have confirmed participation include Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and Israel. In Davos, Trump said that Putin had accepted the invitation to join, but the Kremlin has not confirmed it and said it is still considering the offer.
Cooper underlined that the United Kingdom supports Trump's 20-point plan for peace in Gaza and will participate in the second phase of the process, but cannot become a signatory at this stage due to concerns over Russia's role and the lack of signals of Putin's engagement in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, US-UK relations have been strained following Trump's threats of tariffs on European countries over Greenland, which appear to have been suspended following talks with NATO.
Cooper welcomed this reversal and described it as a positive step for security in the Arctic.
The meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to take place on Thursday in Davos, as talks to end the war in Ukraine continue.