Zakharova assessed Musk's appeal to deprive the UN of funding

The United States is the largest debtor of the United Nations (UN) — the amount is more than $ 3 billion. This was stated by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, commenting on the Sputnik radio station Elon Musk's call to stop funding the UN.

Earlier, Musk spoke on the social network X in response to the words of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about the need to take measures to combat the threat of "the spread of disinformation and hatred on digital platforms."

"If a representative of a large business in the United States, a representative of the US apparatus in the recent past, a person whose opinion attracts attention in the US society and in the world, calls for depriving the UN of funding, let's remind that at the moment it is the United States of America that is the largest debtor of the United Nations. According to official data, as of January 2025, the US debt to the UN amounted to more than $ 3 billion. This is only a duty to the UN," Zakharova said.

"I have, so to speak, scratched my toes and I can provide you with official information: to date, the US debt to the UN has already exceeded $ 3 billion," the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.

"My question is: what kind of funding is Musk talking about? — the diplomat continued. — Is it like an attempt to say: "To whom I owe, I forgive everyone"? That is, is this how they write off their debts? Or did [Musk] not know that [the US] was in debt? Let's say they just have to, although I do not know how to say with respect to $ 3 billion that they "just have to." Well, they have to, they don't want to think about it somehow, or they think that all those to whom they owe are beneficiaries, that they have special relations with the United States, I do not know."

Zakharova noted that Musk "didn't even understand what topic he was revealing." She also expressed confidence that the The UN Secretariat "in this case there will be no gunpowder in the flasks to continue this topic," TASS quoted her as saying.