The U.S. paid about $160 million from its financial contribution to the UN budget of approximately four billion dollars, UN leadership reported on Thursday, according to LETA citing AP.
This payment from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is intended for the regular operational budget of the UN, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told the AP agency.
The UN stated that the U.S. owes $2.196 billion in the regular UN budget, including $767 million for the current year, as well as $1.8 billion in a separate budget intended for UN peacekeeping operations.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned in January that the UN faces "financial collapse" if its financial rules are not changed or if all 193 member states do not pay their contributions. This warning was clearly directed at the U.S.
Information about this U.S. payment was made public at the moment when Trump convened the first meeting of his Peace Council. Many view the Peace Council, created by Trump, as an attempt to compete with the role of the UN Security Council in preventing and resolving armed conflicts worldwide.
Trump has stated that the UN has not realized its potential. His administration made no payments to the UN budget last year and also withdrew from several UN system organizations or suspended their funding.
UN representatives acknowledged that 95% of the debt in the regular UN budget is attributed to the U.S.
