Amid the Jerusalem raised at the United Nations, the United States has decided to cut its 2018 contribution to the United Nations by $285 million—nearly 25%.
US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley made the announcement on Sunday, days after more than 120 nations including India criticised the United States for its decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
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Haley but specifically blamed the world body for its budgetary excesses without making a specific reference to last week’s vote on President Donald Trump’s controversial Jerusalem decision.
Referencing tomorrow’s UN vote criticizing the US embassy move. In the words of the President, “Let them vote against us, we’ll save a lot.” pic.twitter.com/eUGWD4cCBR
— Nikki Haley (@nikkihaley) December 20, 2017
“The inefficiency and overspending of the United Nations are well known. We will no longer let the generosity of the American people be taken advantage of or remain unchecked,” Haley said in a statement announcing the cut to the U.N.’s overall $5.4-billion budget.
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“This historic reduction in spending—in addition to many other moves toward a more efficient and accountable U.N.—is a big step in the right direction.”
Haley said there might be further budget cuts in the future. President Trump’s proposed 2018 spending budget would end funding for UN climate change programs and would cut funding to the United Nations Children’s Fund, also known as UNICEF, by 16%.
