Why did Donald Trump order US’ exit from major UN agencies and other global bodies?

The US had said then: “The WHO continues to demand unfairly onerous payments from the United States, far out of proportion with other countries’ assessed payments.  China, with a population of 1.4 billion, has 300% of the population of the United States, yet contributes nearly 90% less to the WHO.”

What White House said about withdrawal from 66 international bodies 

Trump in a statement cited opposition to what he called “globalist agenda” as the reason for the latest withdrawals. He said the withdrawals would help redirect US taxpayer money towards more relevant issues. “These withdrawals will end American taxpayer funding and involvement in entities that advance globalist agendas over US priorities, or that address important issues inefficiently or ineffectively, such that US taxpayer dollars are best allocated in other ways to support the relevant missions,” the statement said.

Some of the key UN entities the US will withdraw from include a major climate treaty and a UN body that promotes gender equality and women’s empowerment.

President Trump shared a memo naming several international organisations and UN bodies. (file)

Exit from global climate framework

President Trump shared a memo naming several international organisations and UN bodies. Among them was the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the main global agreement through which countries cooperate on climate change. It is often described as the foundation of global climate action because it led to later agreements, including the 2015 Paris climate deal.

Manish Bapna, president and CEO of the Natural Resources Defence Council, said the US would be the first country to walk away from the UNFCCC. “Every other nation is a member, in part because they recognise that even beyond the moral imperative of addressing climate change, having a seat at the table in those negotiations represents an ability to shape massive economic policy and opportunity,” Bapna said.

The United States has been distancing itself from this process. Last year, it did not attend the UN’s annual global climate summit for the first time in about 30 years, signalling a step back from international climate cooperation under Trump’s leadership.

Withdrawal from UN Women and UNFPA

The US will also withdraw from UN Women, which works for gender equality and the empowerment of women, and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the agency focused on family planning as well as maternal and child health in more than 150 countries. The US cut its funding for UNFPA last year.

Funding cuts and UN response

Withdrawing from these entities also means a reduction in funding. President Trump has already cut most voluntary contributions the US provides to many UN agencies, reducing both American involvement and financial support across large parts of the UN system.

How can Trump extend global influence if he withdraws from major organisations?

The withdrawal from the organisations, most of which are related to the UN, is unlikely to deter Trump from trying to extending his global influence. His primary ‘weapon’ — tariff threat — is likely to stay and so is the US’s military power. In 2025, the US used its military power to launch attacks in countries like Syria, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Yemen, and Iran.

President Secretary, Karoline Leavitt said in a press briefing: “The President reserves the right to use the United States military if necessary, though it is not something he wants to do. Diplomacy is always the first option. He pursued that path with Nicolás Maduro, but the administration views him as an illegitimate dictator and an unserious actor.”

.@PressSec: “The President, of course, reserves the right to use the United States military if necessary. It’s not something he wants to do. Diplomacy is always the first option. As you saw he tried that with Nicolas Maduro but unfortunately he was an illegitimate dictator and an… pic.twitter.com/nXzdCsTY9R

— Department of State (@StateDept) January 7, 2026

US officials, cited by news website France 24, said a full UN withdrawal is unlikely as Trump would want to be part of a coalition that sets global standards. Moreover, since China is a part of the UN with veto power, Trump would like to be on the table to counter its influence. Trump would also want continued association with organisations such as the International Telecommunications Union, the International Maritime Organization, and the International Labor Organization to counter China.

Trump has repeatedly pushed for acquiring Greenland, an autonomous territory of US’ NATO ally Denmark, raising concerns of a difference in the NATO. However, Trump will not give up the US’s influence in the global body. He earlier said: “We will always be there for NATO, even if they won’t be there for us. The only nation that China and Russia fear and respect is the DJT rebuilt U.S.A.”

We will always be there for NATO, even if they won’t be there for us. The only Nation that China and Russia fear and respect is the DJT REBUILT U.S.A. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!! – President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/3NImcHj5nj

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 7, 2026