The Donald Trump administration has expressed its intention to pay part of the trillions of won in overdue United Nations contributions, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
The move marks a significant shift from the administration's previous stance of refusing to pay UN dues while withdrawing from multiple UN agencies including the World Health Organization (WHO).
Mike Waltz, U.S. Ambassador to the UN, told Reuters in a phone interview that the United States plans to make partial payments on its outstanding UN contributions within weeks.
"There will be a significant advance payment on the annual contributions," Waltz said. "The final amount has not been determined, but it will happen within weeks."
The U.S. shift comes after UN Secretary-General António Guterres sent a letter to all 193 member states warning that the UN faces "imminent risk of financial collapse." The United States was identified as the primary cause of the financial crisis.
As the largest contributor responsible for 22 percent of the UN budget, the U.S. failed to pay its regular budget contributions last year and paid only 30 percent of its UN peacekeeping operations funding.
According to the UN, more than 95 percent of unpaid regular budget contributions are owed by the United States, amounting to $2.19 billion (approximately 3.2 trillion won) as of early February. The U.S. also owes $2.4 billion (approximately 3.5 trillion won) for peacekeeping operations and about $40 million (approximately 58.6 billion won) for UN tribunal costs.
However, observers suggest the Trump administration is likely to disburse funds gradually while demanding reforms such as efficiency improvements, rather than paying all outstanding dues at once.
"We are very focused on getting back to basics of peace and security," Waltz said. "The president is also asking legitimate questions about how the UN can regain its potential."
President Trump, who has been skeptical of the UN since his first term, has recently shown a noticeably softer stance toward the organization.
In a phone call with Politico on Saturday, Trump boasted that he could easily resolve the UN's financial crisis, saying "the UN has tremendous potential."
Diplomatic circles believe the Trump administration's move to re-engage with the UN stems from concerns that if significant gaps emerge in UN functions, the costs of managing international conflicts could ultimately fall on the United States.