The White House budget office has proposed cutting all US funding for United Nations peacekeeping missions.
The proposal highlights perceived failures in peacekeeping operations in Mali, Lebanon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo as justification for the move.
As the largest financial contributor to the UN – followed by China – the United States currently accounts for 22% of the $3.7 billion core regular UN budget and 27% of the $5.6 billion peacekeeping budget. These contributions are mandatory under international agreements. The proposed cuts are part of a broader effort to slash the State Department’s budget by nearly half, as outlined in a document known as the "Passback," which represents the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) response to the State Department’s funding requests for the upcoming fiscal year beginning October 1.
The Office of Management and Budget has recommended eliminating funding for the Contributions for International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA) programme, which supports UN peacekeeping missions. The Passback document explicitly states:
"For example, Passback provides no funding for CIPA, ending contributions for international peacekeeping due to the recent failures in peacekeeping, such as with MINUSMA, UNIFIL, and MONUSCO, and the disproportionately high level of assessments."
While the administration's proposal outlines significant cuts, it must still be approved by Congress. Lawmakers have previously resisted similar attempts by the Trump administration to reduce diplomatic and foreign aid budgets. During President Trump’s first term, he proposed cutting about a third of these budgets, but Congress ultimately restored much of the funding.
On Tuesday State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce emphasised that no final decisions had been made, stating, "There is no final plan, final budget," when questioned about the OMB’s proposals. The State Department was expected to respond to the OMB’s recommendations on the same day.
The United Nations currently operates nine peacekeeping missions funded by the peacekeeping budget, including operations in Mali, Lebanon, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Western Sahara, Cyprus, Kosovo, the region between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and Abyei, an administrative area jointly managed by South Sudan and Sudan. Cutting US contributions could severely impact these missions, many of which are already facing challenges.
The OMB Passback also introduces the creation of a $2.1 billion America First Opportunities Fund (A1OF), intended to prioritize limited foreign economic and development assistance. The document notes:
"Should the Administration seek to pay any assessments for the United Nations Regular Budget or peacekeeping assessments, we would look to provide that funding from the A1OF."*
The United States currently owes nearly $1.5 billion for the regular UN budget and almost $1.2 billion for the peacekeeping budget, including arrears and current fiscal year commitments. Under UN rules, a country can fall up to two years behind in payments before potentially losing its voting rights in the 193-member General Assembly.
In light of growing financial pressures, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced last month that he is exploring ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs as the organisation approaches its 80th anniversary amid a cash crisis. While addressing reporters on Tuesday, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric declined to comment directly on the leaked memo, describing it as part of an ongoing internal debate within the US government.