Trump administration plans to cancel UN peacekeeping funding and establish alternative fund.

Recently, the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) proposed a plan to fully cut off funding for United Nations peacekeeping operations in the next fiscal year, citing ineffective results in some missions. At the same time, they suggested establishing a $21 billion “United States Prioritization Opportunity Fund” (A1OF) as an alternative mechanism for funding international organizations.

The United States is the largest contributor to the United Nations, bearing 22% of the $3.7 billion regular core budget and 27% of the $5.6 billion peacekeeping budget. These contributions are mandatory. According to the latest budget proposal, the White House plans to cut the overall State Department budget by about 50%, with peacekeeping funds being a major target for significant reductions.

Internal budget documents obtained by Reuters show that the U.S. believes the efficiency of UN peacekeeping missions in Mali (MINUSMA), Lebanon (UNIFIL), and the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) is low, and due to the high U.S. funding share, they recommend terminating the “Contributions for International Peacekeeping Activities” (CIPA) program entirely.

As an alternative, the White House proposed establishing the “United States Prioritization Opportunity Fund” to support individual diplomatic and development projects that align with U.S. strategic interests and selectively provide support for necessary United Nations expenditures.

Despite the Trump administration advocating for significant cuts in foreign aid and diplomatic spending, the final budget still needs approval from Congress. In his first term, President Trump proposed cutting one-third of the foreign aid and diplomatic budget but faced multiple rejections from Congress, leading to incomplete implementation.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce stated that there is currently no “final plan or budget” and the State Department will officially respond to the budget office’s proposal this week.

In response, United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stated that since the document is a “leaked version of internal U.S. government discussions,” the UN has no comment on it.

As of now, the United States owes approximately $1.5 billion to the UN regular budget and $1.2 billion to peacekeeping operations. According to UN regulations, if a member state fails to pay dues for two consecutive years, they may lose their voting rights in the General Assembly.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated last month that the organization is facing severe financial pressure and will accelerate reform efforts to enhance administrative efficiency, reduce unnecessary expenses, and celebrate the 80th anniversary of the United Nations this year.

President Trump has criticized the bloated bureaucracy and inefficiency of the United Nations system in the past, citing misuse of funds and believing that the U.S., as the largest contributor, has not gained the proportional influence it deserves.

During his second term, Trump further reduced participation in and financial commitments to the United Nations system by withdrawing from various affiliated agencies such as the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). However, there is currently no indication that the United States intends to fully withdraw from the United Nations.

(This article references relevant reports by Reuters)