On Thursday, the United Nations announced that the United States has settled approximately 160 million dollars out of its total arrears exceeding 4 billion dollars. This payment is designated for the regular operational budget and comes at a time when the UN is facing a severe funding crisis that could potentially lead to its financial collapse. The situation reflects the continuing problem of delayed payments from member states, particularly from the US, which is the largest contributor to the UN.

The announcement coincided with a meeting held by US President Donald Trump for his new initiative, the 'Peace Council,' in Washington. During this meeting, Trump declared that the US would donate 10 billion dollars to this council without specifying how these funds would be allocated. This shift in focus raises questions about the priorities of US funding, as the UN grapples with crucial financial constraints affecting its operations worldwide.

UN officials reported that the US owes approximately 2.19 billion dollars for the regular budget as of early February, which constitutes over 95% of the total debts owed by all countries to the organization. Additionally, the US is also in debt to the UN for 2.4 billion dollars for both current and past peacekeeping missions and about 43.6 million dollars for international courts associated with the United Nations. This pattern of underfunding from the US poses significant challenges to the UN's ability to fulfill its mandate effectively.