US: We won't pay over 25 percent of UN peacekeeping anymore

UNITED NATIONS: The United States is saying it will no longer shoulder more than a quarter of the multibillion-dollar costs of the United Nations' peacekeeping operations.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley said so Wednesday at a Security Council debate on peacekeeping reform.

The US is the biggest contributor to the UN's 15 peacekeeping missions worldwide. Washington is paying about 28.5 percent of this year's $7.3 billion peacekeeping budget.

President Donald Trump's administration has complained before that the budget and the US share are too high. At Washington's urging, the current budget is $570 million below last year's.

Haley said the US will work to make sure cuts in its portion are done "in a fair and sensible manner that protects UN peacekeeping."

The General Assembly sets the budget and respective contributions by vote.