UN is waiting to see how much the US intends to pay of the nearly $4 billion it owes
THE UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations said Monday it was waiting to hear how much of the nearly $4 billion the United States owes the world body the Trump administration intends to pay and when the money will arrive.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned last week that the world body faces “imminent financial collapse” unless its financial rules are revised or all 193 member countries pay their dues, a message clearly aimed at the United States.
The United States owes $2.196 billion to the U.N. regular operating budget, including $767 million for this year, according to a U.N. official. The United States also owes $1.8 billion under the separate budget for U.N. peacekeeping operations in remote areas, and that amount will also increase.
The U.S. Mission to the United Nations confirmed that U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz said the Trump administration plans to make a significant down payment on its arrears in a few weeks, with the final amount still to be determined. His comments were first reported by Reuters.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Monday that Guterres had been in contact with Waltz “for some time” and that the U.N. monitor was also in contact with U.S. officials.
“We are waiting to see exactly when the payments will be made and for what amount,” Dujarric said.
Guterres said last week in a letter to all member countries that cash for the UN’s regular operating budget could run out by July, which could significantly affect its operations.
President Donald Trump said the United Nations had failed to live up to its potential. His administration paid nothing to the United Nations in 2025 and withdrew from UN organizations, including the World Health Organization and the cultural agency UNESCO, while withdrawing funding from dozens of others.
U.N. officials have said that 95 percent of the U.N.’s regular budget arrears come from the United States.
The second country on the list for not paying its mandatory regular contributions is Venezuela, which owes $38 million, the U.N. official said. The South American nation, whose economy was struggling before the January U.S. military raid that removed President Nicolas Maduro, lost its right to vote in the General Assembly for two years overdue.
Nearly 60 countries paid their annual dues before the February 8 deadline.
