UN Announces Major Reductions in Peacekeeping Operations
The United Nations has announced significant cuts to its peacekeeping force and operations, leading to the evacuation of thousands of soldiers from various global hotspots. These reductions are a direct result of the latest funding cuts from the United States, which is the largest donor to the international organization.
A senior UN official, who wished to remain anonymous while discussing a private meeting, provided details to journalists on Wednesday. The official revealed that 25% of the UN’s peacekeeping force will be reduced in the coming months. This decision was made as the United States, under President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy, reevaluates its financial commitments to the UN.
Approximately 13,000 to 14,000 military and police personnel out of the more than 50,000 peacekeepers deployed across nine global missions will be sent back to their home countries. The UN plans to reduce the peacekeeping force’s budget by around 15% for the upcoming fiscal year, which will impact several important and long-standing UN missions, including the support office in Somalia.
Peacekeeping missions are currently active in countries such as Congo, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Lebanon, Cyprus, and Kosovo. All 193 UN member countries are legally required to contribute their share to peacekeeping efforts.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres emphasized that the UN peacekeeping budget represents a tiny fraction of global military spending—around half a percent—and remains one of the most effective and cost-effective tools for building international peace and security.
The decision to overhaul the peacekeeping force followed a meeting between Guterres and representatives from major donor countries, including Mike Waltz, the new US ambassador to the UN. Waltz and other officials from the Trump administration have criticized the UN’s budget and agencies, claiming they are bloated and redundant. They have pledged not to make further contributions until the US State Department assesses the effectiveness of every single UN agency and program.
Upon entering his second term in January, Trump ordered a review of the UN and other multilateral institutions. This has already led to the US cutting ties with the UN cultural agency UNESCO, the World Health Organisation, and the top UN human rights body, while reassessing its funding for others.
More than 60 offices, agencies, and operations of the New York-headquartered organization are facing 20% job cuts as part of Guterres’ reform effort and response to the Trump funding cuts.
In a recent television interview, Waltz stated that the White House is focused on getting “the UN back to basics of promoting peace, enforcing peace, preventing wars.” He added, “We have to cut out all of this other nonsense.”
The US previously outlined that it would commit $680 million (€584 million) to nine of those peacekeeping efforts, a significant reduction from the $1 billion (€859 million) payment it had made this time last year. This funding will be available for all active missions, especially those that Washington has a special interest in, such as peacekeepers in Lebanon and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Contributions from the US and China make up roughly half of the peacekeeping budget. Another senior UN official mentioned that China has indicated it will pay its full contribution by the end of the year. Beijing is responsible for 20% of the UN’s regular budget and approximately 24% of its peacekeeping funding.
