Indonesia has said it will not pay a proposed $1 billion fee to join the Board of Peace, an initiative backed by Donald Trump, amid growing domestic criticism over its participation.
President Prabowo Subianto clarified that Jakarta has made no financial commitment to the initiative and has only pledged to contribute peacekeeping troops. “We never said that we wanted to contribute $1 billion,” he said in a statement released on the presidential YouTube channel.
The “Board of Peace” was formed following a ceasefire in Gaza negotiated by the United States in coordination with Qatar and Egypt, aimed at halting a prolonged conflict in the region. Under the proposed structure, countries seeking permanent membership would be required to pay $1 billion, a provision that has drawn criticism for potentially creating a “pay-to-play” system similar to the United Nations Security Council.
Prabowo has faced backlash from Indonesian Muslim groups after committing to sending 8,000 peacekeeping troops to Gaza as part of the initiative. He attended the board’s inaugural meeting in Washington last month but has since indicated that Indonesia could withdraw if the initiative does not benefit Palestinians or align with national interests.
Separately, talks with Washington regarding any peacekeeping deployment to Gaza have been put on hold, according to Indonesia’s foreign ministry spokesperson.
Prabowo also noted that Indonesia retains the option to exit agreements, including a recent tariff deal with the United States, if they are deemed contrary to national interests.