They are major cuts, but this is not the first time we have seen the Americans operate this way with the United Nations. For a long time, we have seen major powers use the United Nations as a scapegoat when it suits them, or hide behind the UN, saying that if the UN cannot take action, how can they.
When I was deployed in 1994, my mission was severely limited because the Americans were not paying their fair share. There was no money to conduct missions. I would characterize Mr. Trump's announcement as a fleeting remark, unfortunate timing, precisely when we need the Americans, although not necessarily on the ground.
I went to Darfur. I appeared before a U.S. Senate committee. I told that committee that I did not need the Americans, just the financial backing so we could look after transport, and continued U.S. support in that mission. The same is true of the African countries that I visited with the minister two years ago, and which the minister continues to visit. The Africans are not looking for battalions left and right; they want to become professional and skilled. They are looking for certain equipment, but they want to do the work themselves. They need people like us to impart that new knowledge so they can go to the front lines, so to speak.