The United States plans to make an initial payment toward the billions of dollars it owes the United Nations within the coming weeks, according to its ambassador to the world body.
In a telephone interview with Reuters on Friday, US envoy Mike Waltz said the payment would represent a significant first step toward settling Washington’s outstanding UN dues, while emphasizing that further reforms at the organization remain essential.
“You’ll certainly see an initial tranche of money very shortly,” Waltz said, describing it as a substantial down payment on annual contributions. He added that the exact amount has not yet been finalized but would be paid within weeks.
UN Faces Mounting Financial Pressure
Waltz’s remarks came two weeks after UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the 193-member organization faces the risk of an “imminent financial collapse” due to unpaid contributions — most of which are owed by Washington.
UN officials say more than 95 percent of the outstanding balance for the regular UN budget is owed by the US, amounting to $2.19 billion as of early February. Washington also owes an additional $2.4 billion for current and past peacekeeping missions, as well as $43.6 million for UN tribunals.
In December, the UN General Assembly approved a $3.45 billion regular budget for 2026, covering operational costs such as staff salaries, meetings, and development and human rights work worldwide.
Funding Crisis Amid US Retreat From Multilateralism
The funding shortfall comes as the United States, under President Donald Trump, has pulled back from multilateral engagement on several fronts. While US payment delays at the UN date back decades, arrears have grown significantly during Trump’s presidency.
According to UN officials, Washington did not contribute to the regular budget last year, leaving $827 million unpaid, and still owes $767 million for 2026.
Earlier this week, Trump signed a congressional spending bill allocating $3.1 billion for US dues to the UN and other international organizations.
Asked whether the upcoming payment would be applied to last year’s arrears, 2026 obligations, or both, Waltz said it would go “generally toward the arrears,” while also reflecting progress on reforms.
Reform Push and ‘Tough Love’
Waltz said the US strongly supports Guterres’s UN80 reform initiative, which aims to reduce costs and improve efficiency, though he argued the effort does not go far enough.
“It’s an important first step, but it should have happened much earlier,” he said, adding that Washington wants the UN to refocus on its core mission of peace and security.
He described the US approach as “tough love,” saying the current funding and operational model is unsustainable for many countries. Reducing duplication across UN agencies, including multiple bodies working on similar issues such as climate change, is a key US priority.
“The UN bureaucracy has grown too large and needs to become far more efficient and effective,” Waltz said.
Cash Shortfalls and Structural Issues
Guterres launched the UN80 reform agenda last year as the organization grappled with worsening cash shortages. The approved 2026 budget is about 7 percent lower than the 2025 budget, though still higher than what the secretary-general initially proposed.
Last month, Guterres warned that the UN could run out of cash by July, citing rules that require the organization to return unspent contributions to member states even if the funds were never received.
Waltz said those rules should be changed and noted that US peacekeeping arrears partly stem from differences between UN assessments and limits set by US law — an issue he said would be addressed during the next round of assessment negotiations.