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US plans initial payment towards billions owed to UN, envoy Waltz says
| USA | economy

US plans initial payment towards billions owed to UN, envoy Waltz says

#United Nations #Mike Waltz #Arrears #U.S. Foreign Policy #UN Funding #Multilateralism #Geopolitics

📌 Key Takeaways

  • The U.S. will begin making payments on several billion dollars of debt owed to the United Nations.
  • National Security Advisor Mike Waltz cited the need to maintain American influence as the primary motivation.
  • The United States is currently the largest contributor to the UN but also its most significant debtor.
  • The move is strategically designed to counter the rising influence of rival nations like China within the organization.

📖 Full Retelling

U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz announced during a press briefing at the White House on Monday that the United States government intends to make an initial payment toward several billion dollars in outstanding arrears owed to the United Nations to maintain American influence within the international body. This strategic move comes as the U.S. faces significant pressure to rectify its long-standing financial delinquency, which has accumulated over years of budget disputes and policy shifts regarding the funding of various UN humanitarian and peacekeeping operations. Waltz emphasized that fulfilling these financial commitments is essential to ensuring that the United States remains a dominant voice in global governance and can effectively counter the growing diplomatic sway of rival nations. The payment plan marks a shift in the administration's approach to multilateralism, aiming to stabilize the U.S. position within the UN's power structure. For years, the United States has been the organization's largest contributor, yet it has also been the largest debtor, often withholding funds due to legislative caps or disagreements over specific agency agendas. By addressing these debts now, the administration seeks to regain leverage in critical decision-making processes, including the selection of leadership within UN specialized agencies and the allocation of resources for international security missions. Financial analysts and diplomatic experts suggest that this move is also aimed at preventing rivals, particularly China, from filling the vacuum left by historical American underfunding. As the UN faces a broader liquidity crisis, the infusion of American capital is expected to provide much-needed breathing room for the organization's administrative functions. Moving forward, the U.S. plans to work closely with Congressional leaders to secure the necessary appropriations for future installments, signaling a potential trend toward more consistent engagement with international institutions despite domestic political complexities.

🏷️ Themes

International Relations, Global Economy, Diplomacy

📚 Related People & Topics

Multilateralism

Alliance between multiple countries in pursuit of a common goal

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United Nations

United Nations

Global intergovernmental organization

The United Nations (UN) is a global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the articulated mission of maintaining international peace and security, to develop friendly relations among states, to promote international cooperation, and to serve...

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Arrears

Part of a debt which is overdue after missing payments

In finance, arrears (or arrearage) is a legal term for the part of a debt that is overdue after missing one or more required payments. The amount of the arrears is the amount accrued from the date on which the first missed payment was due. The term is usually used in relation with periodically-recur...

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Mike Waltz

Mike Waltz

American politician (born 1974)

Michael George Glen Waltz (born January 31, 1974) is an American politician, diplomat, businessman, author, and former Army Special Forces officer who has served as the 32nd United States ambassador to the United Nations since September 2025 in the second Trump Administration. A member of the Republ...

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📄 Original Source Content
try{ var _=i o; . if(!_||_&&typeof _==="object"&&_.expiry As Claude disrupts stock market, Anthropic researcher warns ’world is in peril’ Gold, silver prices rise amid U.S.-Iran tensions, blowout January payrolls data Dow halts three-day win streak as blowout jobs data curbs rate cut bets Citi pushes back Fed rate cuts to May after blowout January jobs report (South Africa Philippines Nigeria) US plans initial payment towards billions owed to UN, envoy Waltz says Stock Markets Published 02/08/2026, 02:29 PM Updated 02/08/2026, 02:30 PM US plans initial payment towards billions owed to UN, envoy Waltz says 4 (Corrects Feb 6 story to state that Guterres warning was made in January 28 letter to member states, not two weeks ago; adds byline, ’says’ in headline) By David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON, Feb 6 - The United States will make an initial payment towards the billions of dollars it owes to the United Nations in a matter of weeks, the U.S. ambassador to the world body told Reuters on Friday, while stressing the need for the U.N. to continue reforms. Mike Waltz made the comments in a telephone interview after U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sounded the alarm on U.N. finances in a January 28 letter to member states and warned that the 193-country organization is at risk of "imminent financial collapse" due to unpaid fees, the majority of which are owed by Washington. "You’ll certainly see an initial tranche of money very shortly," Waltz said. "It’ll be a significant ... down payment on our annual dues ... I don’t believe that the ultimate figure is decided, but it’ll be in a matter of weeks." U.N. officials say more than 95 percent of what is owed to the regular U.N. budget is owed by the United States - $2.19 billion by the start of February. The U.S. also owes another $2.4 billion for current and past peace-keeping missions and $43.6 million for U.N. tribunals. On December 30, the U.N. General Assembly approved $3.45 billion for the regular U.N. budget for 2026, f...

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