US plans initial payment towards billions owed to UN : Shared by Tom McDermott

According to the article, the US will soon make an 'initial payment' of its dues.  Something is better than nothing and we can be pleased to see some movement at long last.  It is also nice to see that Trump views the UN more positively than we thought.  Tom

US plans initial payment towards billions owed to UN

David Brunnstrom

Reuters 

February 6, 2026

Click here for the article: 

The United States will make an initial payment toward the billions of dollars it owes the United Nations within weeks, US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz told Reuters in a telephone interview. 

The announcement comes two weeks after UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the 193-country organization faces imminent financial collapse due to unpaid fees. UN officials report that the US owes $2.19 billion to the regular UN budget as of early February, plus $2.4 billion for peacekeeping missions and $43.6 million for tribunals. 

The US did not pay into the regular budget in 2025, owing $827 million for that year and $767 million for 2026. 

President Trump signed a spending bill on Tuesday that includes $3.1 billion for US dues to the UN and other international organizations. Waltz linked the payment to ongoing UN reforms, particularly the UN80 reform effort, but stated the reforms do not go far enough. He criticized UN bureaucracy as too large and cited duplication, noting seven UN agencies have climate change as their primary mission.

Quotes

"You'll certainly see an initial tranche of money very shortly. It'll be a significant ... down payment on our annual dues."

"This is some tough love. The current model is unsustainable for a lot of countries, and we're trying to get the UN back, fit for purpose and focused."

"The UN bureaucracy has grown too large, and needs to be much more efficient and effective."

"It doesn't go far enough, but it's an important step. I wish the secretary-general had made it in year one or two of his tenure, not year nine."

"Now, regardless of the climate change debate, we don't need seven."