Trump administration wants to cut almost all NATO and UN funding

The US is proposing to cut off almost all funding for NATO and the UN, photo: GETTY IMAGES

The White House has submitted a proposal to the US State Department for large-scale spending cuts that could lead to a virtual cessation of funding for organisations such as NATO, the UN and about 20 other international institutions.

According to the document, the State Department's budget is proposed to be cut by almost half, to $28.4 billion. This is 48% less than the current budget approved by Congress for 2025. The largest cuts will be made to humanitarian aid, healthcare and international organisations, The Washington Post reports.

In particular, funding for the UN, NATO, and a number of other organisations will be cut off completely, leaving only individual contributions, for example, to the IAEA or the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

The document also says that funding for international peacekeeping missions will be cut off due to their «ineffectiveness», and changes are proposed for State Department employees regarding salaries, bonuses, hiring and internal structures.

The document was signed by Douglas Pitkin, the State Department's budget director, and Peter Morocco, who has already been dismissed. A final response from Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected by Tuesday, and the proposal is expected to be submitted to Congress by the end of April. The proposal is not yet a final decision — it still needs to be approved by Congress.

Earlier, Politico wrote that Donald Trump's administration is discussing a possible request to Congress to cut the budget of the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) by almost half.