The U.S. government has informed Congress of its intention to disburse $850 million towards its outstanding financial obligations to the United Nations. This payment represents the largest contribution by the Trump administration to the global body since it began advocating for extensive reforms in exchange for continued support as the UN’s primary donor.
According to notifications sent to lawmakers this month, the State Department plans to allocate $725 million as part of its regular UN budget dues and an additional $125 million for UN peacekeeping operations in Haiti and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The United Nations reports that the U.S. currently owes approximately $5 billion in membership dues. This total includes over $2 billion for the regular budget and $3 billion designated for peacekeeping operations.
In February, the Trump administration made a payment of $160 million. This occurred shortly after UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a warning about the institution’s potential for imminent financial collapse unless its financial regulations were revised or all 193 member nations fulfilled their dues. This message was widely understood to be directed at the United States.
Over the past 18 months, President Donald Trump and his allies have consistently called for significant changes within the UN. These demands have caused concern among humanitarian workers and have led to substantial reductions in various programs and services. President Trump has publicly criticized the UN for not achieving its full potential. The administration did not make any payments to the United Nations in 2025 and has withdrawn from several UN organizations, including the World Health Organization and UNESCO, while also cutting funding for numerous others.
The notices, dated August 4, have encountered some initial resistance from Republicans in Congress. These lawmakers argue that the proposed appropriations do not adequately address the administration’s concerns regarding what it perceives as excessive UN staffing and ideological stances that conflict with the administration’s anti-woke agenda. A Republican congressional aide, who spoke anonymously, indicated that the notifications did not appear to be sufficiently firm on the withholding of U.S. assistance to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
