The Trump administration secured a major diplomatic victory this week as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz reached a deal with U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres to implement sweeping UN peacekeeping cuts and rein in bloated spending funded heavily by American taxpayers.
Under the agreement, the United Nations will reduce its global peacekeeping force by roughly 25 percent and slash its $6.7 billion peacekeeping budget by 15 percent. The United States contributes nearly a quarter of that budget, making it the largest single funder of U.N. operations.
The reform follows the Trump administration’s decision to withhold half of the U.S.’s $3 billion annual contribution until the organization addressed years of financial waste and unfulfilled promises of reform. A U.N. official confirmed that Waltz is “demanding reforms first and upfront at the U.N.” before any additional funds are released.
Critics have long argued that U.N. peacekeeping missions are “ineffective and problematic,” citing failures in conflict zones and repeated scandals involving abuse by peacekeepers. Guterres himself acknowledged that the forces could be “more effective and cheaper,” admitting “the way [the organization does] business needs to change.”
A Western diplomat hailed the move as evidence of Trump’s commitment to reshaping global institutions. “It’s clear that the Trump administration is committed to reforming the United Nations, starting with the most serious cuts to global peacekeeping missions in decades,” the diplomat said.
The UN peacekeeping cuts are part of a broader strategy by the Trump administration to demand accountability from international organizations reliant on U.S. funding — and to ensure taxpayer dollars serve American interests first.
