Donald Trump was asked about inviting Vladimir Putin to his new Board of Peace. His response? “Yeah, he’s been invited.”

He said this at the College Football National Championship Game. While Indiana was beating Miami. Because that’s how Trump does diplomacy now—casually confirming geopolitical bombshells between plays.

The Kremlin confirmed they received the invitation and are “studying the details.” They’ll seek clarity on “all the nuances” through communications with the U.S. government. Translation: Putin’s intrigued but wants to know what’s in it for him.

Macron Gets the Treatment

France also got an invitation. A French official close to Macron said they won’t join “at this stage,” citing concerns about “respect for the principles and structure of the United Nations.”

The United Nations. That’s what France is worried about. The organization that’s accomplished approximately nothing on Gaza, Ukraine, or any other major conflict this decade.

Trump’s response to Macron’s hesitation was vintage: “Well, nobody wants him because he’s going to be out of office very soon.”

Then came the threat: “I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes, and he’ll join. But he doesn’t have to join.”

That’s not diplomacy. That’s a protection racket with better one-liners. And it’s probably going to work.

The Coalition of the Willing

While France clutches its pearls about UN principles, other countries are already on board. Morocco, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Hungary, and Argentina have accepted invitations. Israel, Canada, Belarus, Slovenia, and Thailand have also been invited.

Notice the pattern? Trump’s building a coalition that ignores traditional alliance structures entirely. NATO allies sitting next to former Soviet states. Middle Eastern kingdoms next to Southeast Asian nations. The old order doesn’t apply here.

The Board of Peace will supervise the next phase of the Gaza peace plan—the same plan that got all the hostages released and ended a war the “experts” said couldn’t be ended. Trump’s now assembling an international body to manage the aftermath, and he’s inviting whoever he wants regardless of whether they fit into neat diplomatic categories.

Putin at the Table

Inviting Russia is the move that has establishment foreign policy types hyperventilating. Putin? On a peace board? After Ukraine?

But think about it strategically. Russia has influence in the Middle East. They have relationships with Syria, Iran, and various factions the U.S. doesn’t talk to directly. If you’re actually trying to stabilize a region rather than just posture about it, having Russia inside the tent makes more sense than leaving them outside to cause problems.

Trump’s betting that Putin would rather have a seat at the table than be frozen out of whatever comes next in the Middle East. It’s the same logic that got India and Pakistan to stop shooting at each other—make cooperation more attractive than conflict.

France’s Irrelevance

Macron’s refusal highlights how little leverage traditional European powers actually have. France can cite UN principles all day. Trump can respond with tariff threats on Bordeaux and Moët.

One of these is a real negotiating position. The other is a press release.

“Nobody wants him because he’s going to be out of office very soon.” Trump’s not wrong. Macron’s popularity is in the toilet. His coalition is fractured. He’s a lame duck lecturing a president who just ended multiple wars about how international relations should work.

The 200% wine tariff threat might sound like a joke, but French wine exports to the U.S. are worth billions. Macron’s government is already dealing with economic turbulence. Does he really want to test whether Trump’s bluffing?

The New World Order

This is what “America First” diplomacy actually looks like. Build coalitions based on interests, not institutions. Invite enemies to the table if it serves the goal. Threaten allies who won’t cooperate. Announce it all at a football game.

The UN crowd hates it. The Davos set is appalled. And somehow, wars keep ending and deals keep getting made.

Putin’s studying the invitation. Macron’s studying his wine export numbers. And Trump’s watching college football, completely unbothered by which diplomatic norms he’s shredding.