UN awaits how much the US will pay of the almost $4 billion owed
Kyiv • UNN
The United Nations is awaiting a decision on the payment of almost $4 billion in debt by the United States. The UN Secretary-General warned of a possible financial collapse if member states do not pay their contributions.
The United Nations said on Monday that it expects a decision on how much of the nearly $4 billion that the United States owes the world body the Trump administration intends to pay, and when the money will arrive, UNN reports with reference to AP.
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UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned last week that the world body faces an "imminent financial collapse" if its financial rules are not revised or all 193 member states do not pay their dues, a clear jab at the United States, the publication writes.
According to a UN official, the US owes the UN $2.196 billion under the regular operating budget, including $767 million this year. The US also owes $1.8 billion under a separate budget for large-scale UN peacekeeping operations, and that amount is also set to increase.
The US Mission to the UN confirmed that US Ambassador Mike Waltz stated that the Trump administration plans to make a significant upfront payment on the debt within weeks, the final amount of which has not yet been determined.
UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric told reporters on Monday that Guterres has been in contact with Waltz "for quite some time," and the UN controller is also in contact with US officials.
"We are waiting to find out exactly when and in what amount the payments will be made," Dujarric said.
In a letter to all member states last week, Guterres stated that funds for the UN's regular operating budget could run out by July, which could significantly impact its operations.
US President Donald Trump has stated that the UN has not lived up to expectations. His administration has not paid any funds to the UN in 2025, and has also withdrawn from UN organizations, including the World Health Organization and the cultural agency UNESCO, and ceased funding dozens of other organizations.
UN officials said that 95% of the arrears to the UN's regular budget are owed by the United States.
The second country on the list of defaulters on mandatory regular contributions is Venezuela, which owes $38 million, a UN official said. This American country, whose economy was struggling even before the US military operation in January that overthrew then-President Nicolás Maduro, lost its voting rights in the General Assembly for two years of arrears.
Nearly 60 countries paid their annual contributions by the February 8 deadline.