UN is waiting to see how much the US intends to pay of the nearly $4 billion it owes

Source: Politico/AP

02/09/2026 10:22 PM EST


UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations said Monday it’s waiting to find out how much of the nearly $4 billion the United States owes the world organization the Trump administration intends to pay and when the money will arrive. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned last week that the world body faces “imminent financial collapse” unless its financial rules are overhauled or all 193 member nations pay their dues, a message clearly directed at the United States.

The U.S. owes $2.196 billion to the U.N.’s regular operating budget, including $767 million for this year, according to a U.N. official. The U.S. also owes $1.8 billion for the separate budget for the U.N.’s far-flung peacekeeping operations, and that also will rise.

The U.S. Mission to the United Nations confirmed that U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz said the Trump administration planned to make a significant down payment on its arrears in a matter of weeks, with the final amount still to be determined. His comments were first reported by Reuters.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Monday that Guterres has been in touch with Waltz “for quite some time,” and the U.N.’s controller also has been in touch with U.S. officials. ”We’re waiting to see exactly when payments will be made and in what amount,” Dujarric said.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/09/un-is-waiting-to-see-how-much-the-us-intends-to-pay-of-the-nearly-4-billion-it-owes-00772893