US to pay $850 million to UN while billions in dues stay unpaid

NEW YORK (MNTV) — The Trump administration plans to pay about $850 million toward the roughly $5 billion the United States owes the United Nations, a partial step that would leave a large unpaid balance and deepen questions about Washington’s commitment to the organization.

The U.S. debt includes more than $2 billion in regular membership dues and about $3 billion for peacekeeping, so the payment would cover only a fraction of the total. The administration notified Congress of the plan on Aug. 4, according to notices first reported by Reuters. 

The U.S. made no UN payment in 2025, though it paid $160 million in February after Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of an imminent financial crisis; Washington remains one of the UN’s largest contributors.

Trump and his allies have challenged the UN’s structure, spending, and priorities, demanding major reforms while withdrawing the U.S. from bodies including the World Health Organization and UNESCO and cutting funding to many programs — reductions aid groups say have already curtailed humanitarian services. 

The payment has also drawn resistance from some Republicans, who argue it does not go far enough against what they call wasteful UN spending; one congressional aide questioned whether it sufficiently restricts funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.

The dispute exposes a contradiction in U.S. policy: Washington is seeking to force changes at the UN while withholding billions in assessed contributions — leverage that also threatens the body’s ability to sustain peacekeeping and humanitarian work. 

Even with the payment, the U.S. would remain billions behind. The U.S. mission to the UN did not immediately respond to a request for comment.