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world1d ago
US ambassadors reveal how they slashed UN budget: ‘They’ve never seen anything like it’
- US ambassadors to the UN announced a 15.2% budget cut for 2026, reducing the UN budget by about $570 million.
- The reductions included a $110 million cut to the UN Secretariat, $160 million less for field missions, and a $300 million across-the-board cut.
- The effort followed President Trump's push to 'get the UN back to basics' and to reform its budget and pension systems.
- US Ambassador Jeffrey Bartos described the pension system as a target for modernization and reform.
- Officials argued that trimming the budget would make the UN smaller, less duplicative, and more efficient while focusing on stopping wars.
- The ambassadors defended the UN's relevance, noting it remains a central venue for diplomacy despite reform calls.
- The cuts followed a broader Trump administration push to cut the UN budget and reform the organization’s operations.
- US officials indicated the goal was to curb waste while preserving essential UN functions.
- The administration emphasized burden-sharing and targeted reforms rather than exiting the UN.
- US Ambassador Michael Waltz and Jeffrey Bartos discussed the reforms in interviews with The New York Post and Reuters.
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