The sweeping move targets dozens of organisations and commissions - many linked to the United Nations - that the administration has argued are mismanaged, ideologically driven or counter to US interests.

The withdrawals coincide with heightened global unease over recent US military actions and threats, including the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and signals that Washington may seek control of Greenland.

Broad pullout from UN-linked bodies

Most of the entities affected are UN-related institutions focused on climate, labour, migration and other policy areas the administration has criticised as promoting diversity or "woke" agendas. The US will also exit several independent bodies, including the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, and the Global Counterterrorism Forum.

Explaining the rationale, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, "The Trump Administration has found these institutions to be redundant in their scope, mismanaged, unnecessary, wasteful, poorly run, captured by the interests of actors advancing their own agendas contrary to our own, or a threat to our nation's sovereignty, freedoms, and general prosperity."

The White House has previously suspended support for agencies such as the World Health Organization, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), the UN Human Rights Council and UNESCO. The current action builds on a pattern of selective funding, with the administration choosing only to back bodies it considers compatible with Trump's agenda.

Geopolitical backdrop and military assertiveness

The move comes at a moment when US foreign policy has taken a more confrontational turn. Earlier on Wednesday, the administration seized two Venezuela-linked sanctioned oil tankers as part of its broader strategy to assert influence over the country's vast crude reserves. Trump's recent capture of Maduro has already unsettled Washington's allies and adversaries.

Daniel Forti, head of UN affairs at the International Crisis Group, said the shift embodies a unilateralist posture, "I think what we're seeing is the crystallisation of the US approach to multilateralism, which is 'my way or the highway.' It's a very clear vision of wanting international cooperation on Washington's own terms."

The UN, already facing its own financial strains, has been forced to cut staff and programmes in response to previous US funding reductions through USAID and other channels.

Climate institutions among the biggest targets

One of the most consequential withdrawals is from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the 1992 treaty underpinning global climate negotiations and the Paris Agreement. Trump left the Paris accord shortly after returning to office, dismissing climate change as a hoax.

Critics warn that leaving the UNFCCC makes the US the lone country outside the global climate regime. Former White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy called the decision, "shortsighted, embarrassing, and a foolish decision." She added, "This Administration is forfeiting our country's ability to influence trillions of dollars in investments, policies, and decisions that would have advanced our economy and protected us from costly disasters wreaking havoc on our country."

Scientists emphasise that climate change is fuelling more extreme weather, including wildfires, flooding, heatwaves and intense rainfall. Rob Jackson of Stanford University, chair of the Global Carbon Project, warned that the US exit may undermine global progress because it "gives other nations the excuse to delay their own actions and commitments."

Funding disputes and longstanding political battles

The UN Population Fund - often targeted by Republicans - is once again losing US backing. Trump previously cut funding over allegations it facilitated "coercive abortion practices" in China. President Joe Biden reinstated support in 2021, and a subsequent State Department review found no evidence for the claims.

This latest directive renews that funding freeze and expands departures to include the Carbon Free Energy Compact, United Nations University, International Cotton Advisory Committee, International Tropical Timber Organization, Pan-American Institute for Geography and History, International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies, and the International Lead and Zinc Study Group.

US seeks influence elsewhere

Despite the extensive retreat, officials insist the administration still recognises the utility of the UN and aims to channel resources toward institutions they see as strategically important - particularly those where the US competes with China on global standards, such as the International Telecommunications Union, the International Maritime Organization and the International Labour Organization.

(AP)