Few administrations have had to do so much so quickly to restore U.S. leadership on the world stage. In its first 60 days, the Biden administration has rejoined the World Health Organization and the Paris climate agreement, lifted the ban on travelers from some Muslim-majority countries, reestablished funding for programs that support the health of women and girls around the world, and extended a treaty on nuclear stability with Russia. This month, the United States served as president of United Nations Security Council, and on Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is chairing a meeting of the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Syria. After four long and painful years, the United States is starting to look like the America its allies recognize.
There remains, however, a critical part of the U.S. foreign-policy equation left unaddressed: paying the dues the country owes to the U.N. peacekeeping budget. These dues have been accruing for four years and total more than $1 billion.
