The US government, which has notified Congress of its payment plan to the United Nations, plans to cover $850 million of its more than $5 billion debt.
Of the planned payment, $725 million will be transferred to the UN's regular budget as membership contributions. The amount planned for UN peace operations in Haiti and the Democratic Republic of the Congo is $125 million.
The State Department's notifications setting out the plan reached members of Congress on August 4. The notifications were first reported by Reuters and subsequently obtained by the Associated Press.
Breakdown of US debt to the UN
UN data shows that more than $2 billion of the US debt in membership contributions is linked to the regular budget, while approximately $3 billion is related to payments for peacekeeping operations.
Largest payment the administration would make to the UN
The sum would be the largest payment the Trump administration has made to the world body since it demanded sweeping reforms of the organisation. The administration made no payments to the UN throughout 2025 and transferred $160 million in February this year.
Over the same period, the United States withdrew from the World Health Organization and UNESCO, and halted funding to dozens of other UN-affiliated bodies.
The organisation is struggling with a cash squeeze
The payment plan comes in the middle of a liquidity crisis that has weighed on the UN for years. In February, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the organisation faced "imminent financial collapse" unless its financial rules were overhauled or all member states paid their dues in full.
In response to the crisis, Guterres proposed cutting the 2026 budget by roughly 15 per cent, from $3.7 billion to about $3.2 billion. The proposal also foresees a marked reduction in the number of staff posts.
The largest share of contributions belongs to the US
The United States is the UN's single largest funder. The organisation's assessment formula applies a ceiling of 22 per cent for the largest contributor, and the US is the only country that reaches that ceiling.
Under Article 19 of the UN Charter, a member state whose arrears equal or exceed the contributions due for the preceding two full years loses its vote in the General Assembly. Voting rights in the Security Council are not affected by arrears.
Objections in Congress
The notifications drew criticism from Republicans. A Republican congressional aide said the plan did not appear to be strong enough on withholding US assistance to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
The US mission to the UN did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the payment plan.
Maria Nica / Editor
