The annual general debate of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has commenced in New York, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres preparing to deliver his final address on the state of the organization. Guterres departs after a decade at the helm, during which the UN has faced increasing marginalization and is now on the verge of financial collapse. Paradoxically, the United States, the UN's host nation, and its current president, Donald Trump, are significantly contributing to this dire situation.

The Trump administration's recent withdrawal from numerous UN agencies and organs, coupled with the cessation of all payments to the UN's regular and peacekeeping budgets, represents a drastic policy shift. However, these actions are not unprecedented and appear to be the logical culmination of a long-standing U.S. policy aimed at weakening the international body.

In the mid-1980s, the Reagan administration also accused the UN of being a "third-world, anti-US forum." Under the guise of necessary reforms, the U.S. began withholding a portion of its assessed contributions, which at the time accounted for a quarter of the UN's regular budget and a third of its peacekeeping budget. Although the U.S. eventually relaxed its payment withholding policy by 1987, the precedent of using financial leverage to influence the organization was firmly established.

This strategy of keeping the UN on a "short financial leash" has continued through subsequent administrations, with the U.S. deliberately accruing arrears. The current outstanding amount owed by the U.S. is estimated to be $4.2 billion, equivalent to 120 percent of the UN's 2026 regular budget. President Trump has openly embraced this tactic of "financial blackmail."

While Trump's administration has slowed mandatory payments, it recently paid $827 million toward its outstanding dues to maintain voting rights in the UNGA. Trump's complex relationship with the UN may also stem from a personal setback in 2001, when he reportedly lobbied then-Secretary-General Kofi Annan for the UN headquarters renovation project but was unsuccessful.

Beyond personal or political grievances, a significant factor driving the U.S. assault on the UN, as seen during the Reagan years and now under Trump, is the influence of the U.S. Congress. Congressional opposition and demands for reform often shape U.S. policy towards the UN, particularly concerning financial contributions.

This historical pattern of financial pressure and strategic weakening by the U.S. raises serious questions about the future of the United Nations as a multilateral agent. The organization's ability to effectively address global challenges is increasingly jeopardized by the financial instability exacerbated by its host nation's policies.

As the UNGA convenes, the ongoing financial struggles and the U.S.'s persistent use of its financial obligations as a political tool highlight the profound challenges facing international cooperation in the 21st century.