United Nations: The United States has paid about $160 million toward the nearly $4 billion it owes the United Nations, U.N. officials said Thursday, as President Donald Trump pledged additional support for the financially strained world body.
The payment, made last week by the Trump administration, was applied to the U.N.’s regular operating budget, according to U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric. The United Nations says the U.S. currently owes $2.196 billion to its regular budget — including $767 million for 2026 — and an additional $1.8 billion for U.N. peacekeeping operations worldwide.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned last month that the organization faces “imminent financial collapse” unless its financial structure is reformed or member states fully pay their assessed contributions. In a letter sent to all 193 member nations, Guterres cautioned that funds for the regular budget could be exhausted by July, potentially disrupting U.N. operations.
U.N. officials have said that about 95% of the overdue payments to the organization’s regular budget come from the United States.
Trump Signals Shift in Tone
The disclosure of the payment came as Trump convened the first meeting of the newly created Board of Peace in Washington. The initiative was initially designed to oversee the Gaza ceasefire but has since drawn attention for its broader ambition, with critics saying it could challenge the role of the U.N. Security Council in managing global conflicts.
Trump has previously criticized the United Nations for failing to meet its potential and has withdrawn the U.S. from several U.N.-affiliated organizations, including the World Health Organization and UNESCO, while cutting funding to dozens of others.
However, at Thursday’s meeting, Trump struck a more conciliatory tone. He said his administration would work “very closely” with the United Nations and described the organization as enduring beyond any single presidency.
“Someday, I won’t be here — the United Nations will be,” Trump said. He added that the Board of Peace would help strengthen the U.N. and ensure it functions properly. “They need help, and they need help moneywise,” he said, without directly acknowledging that unpaid U.S. dues are a major contributor to the organization’s financial difficulties.
Trump said the United States would help ensure the U.N. remains viable but did not provide a timeline for future payments.
Ongoing Talks Over Arrears
Dujarric said Guterres has been in regular contact with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, and that the U.N.’s financial controller has also held discussions with U.S. officials regarding the outstanding arrears.
The United Nations said 55 countries paid their annual dues for 2026 by the Feb. 8 deadline, highlighting the scale of the shortfall created by unpaid U.S. contributions.
Despite the partial payment, U.N. officials stress that without full and timely contributions from all member states — especially its largest financial backer — the organization’s ability to carry out peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, and diplomatic missions remains at serious risk.