TANZANIA – On Monday, the United Nations expressed anticipation regarding how much of the nearly $4 billion owed by the United States will be settled by the Trump administration, and the timeline for these payments.
Last week, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres highlighted the urgent financial issues facing the organization, indicating a risk of “imminent financial collapse” unless financial rules are reformed or all 193 member states fulfill their financial obligations, notably addressing the United States.
According to a U.N. official, the United States has an outstanding debt of $2.196 billion toward the U.N.’s regular operating budget, including $767 million due this year. Additionally, the U.S. owes $1.8 billion for the U.N.’s peacekeeping efforts, with this amount expected to increase.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations confirmed that U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz announced the Trump administration’s intention to make a substantial initial payment toward its debt in the coming weeks, though the exact amount remains undecided. This information was initially reported by Reuters.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric informed reporters on Monday that Secretary-General Guterres has been in long-standing communication with Waltz, and the U.N.’s financial controller has also been in contact with U.S. representatives.
“We are awaiting clarity on the specific timing and amount of the forthcoming payments,” Dujarric stated.
Guterres said in a letter to all member nations last week that cash for the U.N.’s regular operating budget could run out by July, which could dramatically affect its operations.
President Donald Trump has said the United Nations has not lived up to its potential. His administration did not pay anything to the United Nations in 2025, and it has withdrawn from U.N. organizations, including the World Health Organization and the cultural agency UNESCO, while pulling funding from dozens of others.
U.N. officials have said 95% of the arrears to the U.N.’s regular budget is from the United States.
The country second on the list for not paying its mandatory regular dues is Venezuela, which owes $38 million, the U.N. official said. The South American nation, whose economy was struggling before the U.S. military raid in January that deposed then-President Nicolás Maduro, has lost its right to vote in the General Assembly for being two years in arrears.
Nearly 60 countries paid their annual dues by the Feb. 8 due date.
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