UN Faces Bankruptcy Due to Delayed Payments from the U.S. and China – Media Reports
1 June 05:09
The United Nations is on the brink of bankruptcy because the United States and China—which account for 42% of its budget revenue—are delaying their payments. This was reported by the American newspaper The Wall Street Journal, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
According to the publication, Washington’s debt to the organization exceeds $4 billion. Beijing, meanwhile, despite paying nearly $850 million during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to UN headquarters in New York in late May, still owes $455 million. At the same time, China promises to fulfill its obligations to the organization, calling itself “effectively the main financial sponsor.”
The U.S. is linking its future financial support to cuts in UN spending. Among the measures Washington deems necessary are job cuts, a reduction in business-class flights, and the use of automated transfers.
Other countries have also cut their contributions to the UN
Other major donors to the UN are also cutting funding. For example, the UK and Germany have allocated less money to humanitarian programs combating hunger and disease due to budget cuts. The WSJ attributed the reduction in contributions from Sweden and the Netherlands to “a political shift to the right.”
In this regard, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned as early as October 2025 that the organization was in a “race toward bankruptcy,” pointing to the “very real prospect of financial collapse” for the body. According to forecasts, the UN’s funds will run out by mid-August. At that time, as the WSJ notes, the question of selecting Guterres’s successor—who must be approved by the end of 2026—will become more pressing.
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