By Despite the fact that they often empower those who dislike the United States, the Trump administration is preparing to make an initial payment toward the United States’ outstanding arrears at the United Nations, with funds expected to be released in the coming weeks.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said the payment will be paired with continued pressure on the international body to pursue structural reforms, pushing back on claims that U.S. nonpayment is the primary driver of the organization’s financial strain.
“The United States pays to the U.N. system more than 180 countries combined,” Waltz told Fox News. “We have historically been the largest supporter of the U.N., but under President Trump, we’re demanding reform.”
Waltz argued that the administration’s approach has already produced measurable changes inside the U.N. system, according to The Daily Caller. He pointed to the elimination of nearly 3,000 headquarters positions, the approval of the organization’s first budget reduction in eight decades, and a commitment to cut global peacekeeping forces by 25 percent.
As of early February, the United States owed roughly $2.19 billion toward the U.N.’s regular operating budget, in addition to approximately $2.4 billion in unpaid peacekeeping assessments and $43.6 million related to U.N. tribunals, according to U.N. figures.
The forthcoming payment follows President Donald Trump’s signing of a spending bill on February 3 that allocates $3.1 billion for U.S. contributions to the United Nations and other international organizations.
“You’ll certainly see an initial tranche of money very shortly,” Waltz told Reuters. “It’ll be a significant down payment on our annual dues.”
The announcement comes as U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the organization is going broke. Last month, Guterres cautioned that the 193-member body could experience “imminent financial collapse” and potentially exhaust its funds by July if member states fail to meet their obligations.
Waltz rejected the notion that the U.N.’s budgetary problems stem primarily from U.S. arrears, instead arguing that the institution has expanded well beyond its original mission.
“The U.N.’s budget has quadrupled in the last 25 years,” he said. “We haven’t seen a quadrupling of peace around the world. In fact, it’s gone the opposite direction.”
He also criticized what he described as duplication and inefficiency across U.N. agencies, singling out climate-focused programs as an example.
“There are times where the U.N. has been incredibly helpful to U.S. foreign policy and objectives, but there are also times where it’s working against us,” he said. “It has become bloated. It has become duplicative. It has lost its way from its original founding.”
Administration officials say the planned payment reflects a broader strategy of tying U.S. financial support to institutional reforms, framing the move as an effort to restore focus and discipline at the United Nations while maintaining America’s role as its largest single contributor.
“When we give the U.N. some tough love … these are the American taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars,” he said. “At the end of the day, we will get the American taxpayers’ money’s worth, so to speak, out of this organization.”
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