Bulgaria’s caretaker PM joins Trump’s “Board of Peace” at oligarch’s urging

Bulgaria’s outgoing Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov has followed the directive of Delyan Peevski – sanctioned for corruption by both the United States and the United Kingdom – and brought Bulgaria into President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” initiative.

On Thursday in Davos, Trump announced the composition of the Board of Peace, intended as part of the transitional governance for the Gaza Strip. Notably absent from its membership are leaders from Western European countries, except Hungary’s Viktor Orban.

Earlier this week, it emerged that an invitation had been sent to Bulgarian President Rumen Radev to join the Board of Peace. However, Radev subsequently announced his resignation in order to pursue party politics.

The political pressure to bring Bulgaria into Trump’s initiative came from Delyan Peevski, leader of the “DPS – New Beginning” party. Peevski publicly urged Radev to move forward with Bulgaria’s participation.

“I call on President Radev to immediately submit this to the National Assembly for a vote, and then to forward it to the Council of Ministers so that the subsequent steps for the country’s accession to the Board of Peace can be taken,” Peevski stated in an official position.

The Bulgarian political figure, whom the Biden administration labeled an “oligarch,” is making every effort to have his name removed from the U.S. Magnitsky sanctions list.

“As a political leader, I insist that our country not miss the opportunity to be part of building a new, fairer, and more stable world order,” Peevski emphasized.

Rosen Zhelyazkov promptly carried out this instruction, even though Trump’s invitation had been addressed to the presidency.

Bulgaria stands to gain no direct benefit from joining this body, as its participation openly disregards attempts to demonstrate EU unity. Symbolically, during the Davos event, Zhelyazkov was seated next to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán – who refused to support Denmark over Greenland and has long sought to block European aid to Ukraine.

The countries represented on stage in Davos were predominantly from the Middle East and South America, including leaders or representatives from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, and Paraguay. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko did not attend the signing ceremony in Davos but signed the relevant document in Minsk on January 20, ahead of the official charter launch.

“It is a true honor to welcome you here today,” Trump said, describing those on stage as “in most cases very popular leaders, and in some cases – not so popular.” Was he referring to the Bulgarian PM?

The presence of Zhelyazkov in Davos took the Bulgarian audience by surprise. This article will be updated with reactions.

Caption: U.S. President Donald Trump (center) holds the signed founding charter during a session of the “Board of Peace” at the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2026. The 2026 meeting, held from January 19 to 23 under the theme “Spirit of Dialogue,” brings together global political leaders, corporate executives, and scholars to address international challenges. EPA/GIAN EHRENZELLER