UNITED NATIONS (AP) 鈥� The United States has paid about $160 million of the nearly , the U.N. said Thursday, and President Donald Trump promised more money to the financially strapped world organization.
The Trump administration鈥檚 payment last week is earmarked for the U.N.鈥檚 regular operating budget, U.N. spokesman St茅phane Dujarric told The Associated Press.
The U.N. has said the United States owes $2.196 billion to its regular budget, including $767 million for this year, as well as $1.8 billion to a separate budget for the far-flung U.N. peacekeeping operations.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that the world body faces 鈥渋mminent financial collapse鈥� unless its financial rules are overhauled or all 193 member nations pay their dues, a message .
He said in a letter to all member nations that cash for the regular budget could run out by July, which could .
U.N. officials have said 95% of the overdue payments to the U.N.鈥檚 regular budget is from the United States.
The disclosure of the U.S. payment came as Trump convened the , a new initiative initially meant to oversee the Gaza ceasefire but whose wider ambitions under Trump many see as an attempt to in preventing and ending conflict around the world.
Trump has said the United Nations has not lived up to its potential and has withdrawn the U.S. from U.N. organizations, including the and the , while .
At the Board of Peace meeting Thursday in Washington, Trump was much more positive than he has been in the past about the future of the United Nations, which was established on the ashes of World War II.
He said his administration was going to be working 鈥渧ery closely鈥� with the U.N., adding, 鈥淪omeday, I won鈥檛 be here 鈥� the United Nations will be.鈥�
Trump said the Board of Peace 鈥渋s going to almost be looking over the United Nations,鈥� strengthening it and making sure its facilities are good and it runs properly.
鈥淭hey need help, and they need help moneywise,鈥� the president said, never mentioning that the U.S. failure to pay its dues is a key reason for the U.N.鈥檚 financial crisis.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to help them moneywise, and we鈥檙e going to make sure the United Nations is viable,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淎nd I think it鈥檚 going to eventually live up to its potential. That will be a big day.鈥�
He did not say when any future payments would be made.
Dujarric, the U.N. spokesman, said last week that Guterres has been in touch with U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz 鈥渇or quite some time鈥� and that the U.N.鈥檚 controller also has been in touch with U.S. officials about the arrears.
The U.N. said 55 countries paid their annual dues for 2026 by the Feb. 8 due date.
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