United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has issued a stark warning to diplomats, cautioning that the UN could be heading toward a serious financial breakdown as a result of shrinking contributions most notably from the United States during Donald Trump’s presidency.
In a letter dated January 28 and seen by Reuters, Guterres explained that the organisation is struggling with unpaid membership dues and strict budget rules that force unused funds to be returned. Together, these pressures are creating what he described as a rapidly worsening crisis.
“The situation is deepening, threatening the delivery of critical programmes and putting the organisation at risk of financial collapse,” Guterres wrote. He warned that, without corrective action, the UN could face a cash shortfall as early as July. While he did not name specific countries, he confirmed that some governments have formally announced they will not pay assessed contributions that make up a large portion of the UN’s regular budget.
Guterres stressed that the organisation now faces a blunt choice: either all member states meet their financial obligations in full and on time, or the UN will be forced to radically change its financial rules to avoid collapse.
The warning comes as Washington has frozen most future voluntary contributions and withheld payments to several UN agencies. This decision has left the organisation facing what many observers describe as its most severe funding crisis in decades.
President Trump has previously defended these cuts by accusing the UN of supporting policies that, in his view, undermine Western borders through migration assistance. He has also argued that the organisation failed to adequately support the United States during his efforts to end long-running military conflicts abroad.
Although the US has said it will still provide around £1.4 billion in humanitarian aid, that figure represents a sharp reduction from previous years. In the past, the United States contributed as much as £12.3 billion annually, making it the UN’s largest single donor.
The funding pullback has also coincided with broader disengagement. Last year, the US did not attend the UN’s annual international climate summit—the first time it had skipped the event in nearly 30 years—further highlighting the strain in its relationship with the global body.
Taken together, these developments underscore growing concerns about the future stability of the United Nations at a time when global cooperation is under increasing pressure.
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