Ervana Trikarinaputri, Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto attended the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, February 19, 2026.
The agenda was attended by U.S. President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and White House senior advisor Jared Kushner.
Several other world leaders from member nations also attended, including those from Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Pakistan, Paraguay, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Egypt. Additionally, representatives from Belarus, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Israel were present.
In his speech, Trump expressed appreciation for the attending country representatives, including Prabowo. Trump noted that the nations involved in the Board of Peace have not only contributed financially but are also willing to deploy personnel to uphold the ceasefire and ensure peace in Gaza.
Trump then highlighted Indonesia as one of the nations committed to sending troops to Gaza. "President Prabowo of Indonesia, thank you very much. It's a big country you have," Trump stated, as broadcast through the official White House YouTube channel.
Furthermore, Trump referred to Prabowo as a "tough" man. The Republican politician also remarked that Prabowo has done great work and is respected by everyone. "He's tough, and he's smart. And smart is more important," Trump added.
Prior to this, Prabowo Subianto stated that the inaugural Board of Peace meeting focused on efforts to achieve peace in Gaza. Prabowo conveyed this at a business forum at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce building in Washington, D.C., a day before the official summit.
Prabowo mentioned that he attended at the invitation of President Trump to participate in the High-Level Conference of the Board of Peace. "The first official meeting of the Board of Peace to discuss the implementation and continuation of the ceasefire in Gaza. We continue to strive to pave the way toward a real and sustainable solution to the Palestine issue," Prabowo said in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
The Head of State added that Indonesia consistently adheres to the principle of an active non-aligned foreign policy. Prabowo asserted that Indonesia does not side with any particular power bloc. He also claimed that Indonesia actively participates in fostering global peace.
"We continue our non-aligned foreign policy, respecting all major powers. I am determined to implement the 'Good Neighbor Policy'," Prabowo stated.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2088164/trump-praises-tough-prabowo-at-board-of-peace-summi