Prabowo Optimistic Trump Can Deliver Peace
President Prabowo Subianto has expressed optimism in US President Donald Trump’s leadership of the Board of Peace, stating his belief that Trump will deliver genuine peace through the United Nations shadow body.
Prabowo conveyed his confidence during a speech at the Board of Peace’s inaugural meeting in Washington D.C. on Thursday, 19 February 2026. The event was attended by approximately 20 leaders of member states, including Prabowo and Trump.
According to Prabowo, the Board of Peace will face numerous obstacles and difficulties in achieving peace. “But we are very optimistic that this vision of true peace will be realised under President Trump’s leadership,” Prabowo said during the summit.
Prabowo stated that Indonesia had studied from the outset the 20-point plan for peace in Gaza proposed by Trump. Indonesia, he said, fully agrees with and is wholly committed to the plan. “That is why we joined the Board of Peace — we are committed to its success,” said the Gerindra Party chairman.
In his address, Prabowo expressed hope for peace in Gaza and a permanent solution to the Palestinian issue. The former Defence Minister also reaffirmed his commitment to deploying Indonesian military forces to Gaza for the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) mission.
Indonesia is currently preparing approximately 8,000 Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) personnel for deployment to the Gaza Strip, Palestine, through the ISF. The ISF is planned to operate under the direction of the Board of Peace established by US President Donald Trump and approved by the United Nations Security Council through Resolution 2803 on 17 November 2025.
At the Board of Peace’s first meeting on Thursday, US President Donald Trump expressed appreciation in his speech for the attending national representatives, including President Prabowo. Trump remarked that nations joining the Board of Peace were not only contributing funds but also willing to send personnel to maintain the ceasefire in Gaza.
Trump then named Indonesia as one of the countries set to deploy troops to Gaza. “Indonesia, thank you very much, Indonesia. This is a great country,” Trump said.
Indonesia’s involvement in the Board of Peace has attracted criticism. The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), for instance, argued that membership in the US-led international body betrays the spirit and values of the Indonesian people, who have long sided with Palestine.
YLBHI highlighted the plan to send thousands of Indonesian soldiers to ‘assist’ the United States and Israel in demilitarising Hamas in Palestine. YLBHI stressed that this sets a dangerous precedent against Palestine’s rights as a state.