Sorry, Ambassador Bolton—US Membership at the UN is Burden-Sharing at its Best

In fact, only approximately USD 3.1 billion of US contributions in 2022 consisted of assessed contributions, covering the US share of the costs of the UN, UN peacekeeping operations, and thirteen specialized agencies in the broader UN system. [...] In the same period, the USD 3.1 billion in US assessed contributions to the UN system represented a paltry 0.01 percent of their GDP, or the rough equivalent of the cost of ten days of the US war in Afghanistan. [...] And as the US is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, it is able to ensure that all decisions of the Security Council are in line with US interests. [...] Bolton conveniently forgets that the US was instrumental in the founding of the United Nations, and that membership in the UN serves hard US national security interests. [...] Ultimately, when considering why a strong UN is part of core US national interests, it is important to recall that the objective of saving future generations from the scourge of war sits at the heart of the UN’s work.