The US pays $160 million of the roughly $4 billion owed to the UN

The United States has paid about $160 million of the nearly $4 billion owed to the United Nations, the UN said on Thursday (Feb 19, 2026), and President Donald Trump promised more money to the financially strapped world body.

The Trump administration’s payment last week was earmarked for the UN’s regular operating budget, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Associated Press.

The United States owes $2.19 billion to its regular budget, $767 million for this year, as well as $1.8 billion to the special budget for long-distance UN peacekeeping operations, the UN said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned late last month that the world body faces “imminent financial collapse” unless its financial rules are overhauled or all 193 member states default on their dues, a message clearly directed at the United States.

He said in a letter to all member states that the money for the regular budget could run out by July, which would dramatically affect UN operations. UN officials say 95% of overdue payments to the UN’s regular budget come from the United States.

The US payment was revealed as Mr Trump convened the first meeting of the Peace Board, a new initiative initially intended to monitor the Gaza ceasefire, but Mr. Trump’s broad ambitions are seen as an attempt to rival the UN Security Council’s role in preventing and ending conflicts around the world.

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Mr. Trump said the United Nations was not living up to its potential and withdrew the US from UN bodies, including the World Health Organization and the cultural organization UNESCO. Trump said, however, that dozens are taking funding from others.

At a meeting of the Peace Board in Washington on Thursday (February 19), Mr Trump sounded more positive than ever about the future of the United Nations, founded on the ashes of World War Two.

He said his administration would work “very closely” with the UN, adding that “one day, I won’t be here – the United Nations will be.” The Peace Council “almost focuses on the United Nations,” Mr. Trump said, to strengthen it and make sure that its facilities are good and that it runs properly.

“They need help, and they need help with money,” the president said, never mentioning that the failure of the US to pay its dues was a key cause of the UN’s financial crisis.

“We are going to help them with money and we are going to make sure that the United Nations is viable,” said Mr. Trump said. “And I think it’s finally going to live up to its potential. That’s going to be a great day.” He did not say what future payments would be made.

Mr. Dujarric, UN representative, Mr. Guterres said last week that he had been in touch with Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, for “some time” and that the UN’s comptroller was also in contact with US officials about the arrears. The UN said 55 countries had paid their annual dues by the February 8 deadline of 2026.