False: While some missions have existed for decades, that is because members of the Security Council have deemed it beneficial to maintain a stabilizing presence in highly contentious areas like Cyprus and the Israeli/Syrian/Lebanese borders and it is the responsibility of the Security Council, Host Countries, and Member States to work towards a political solution, not solely the work of peacekeepers. Also, in any of these missions, the U.S. could have vetoed mandate renewal and if they had chosen to do so, the mission would have had to close.
Most recently, UN missions in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Côte d’Ivoire made significant contributions to stability in these West African countries, helping to ensure the safety of populations subject to the depredations of devastating civil wars, facilitating free and fair elections, overseeing peaceful transitions of power, disarming former combatants, and creating conditions that allowed hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians to return home. When it determined that their jobs were complete, the Security Council voted to close all three missions and withdraw peacekeeping forces: Sierra Leone in 2005; Côte d’Ivoire in 2017; and Liberia in 2018.
The U.S. pays too much
UN peacekeeping operations are financed through Member State assessments, determined by a complex formula that considers several economic indicators and is also used to determine assessments for the UN regular budget. The five permanent members of the Security Council are assessed at a slightly higher rate than what they would otherwise pay for the regular budget, however, because of their veto power over the establishment of peacekeeping missions. Assessment rates are renegotiated by the UN General Assembly every three years, and the current U.S. rate of 27.89 percent represents a reduction from the 1990s, when it paid nearly 32 percent.
While the costs are significant, the U.S. itself contributes few uniformed personnel to UN peacekeeping operations, currently just several dozen out of a total force of more than 90,000.
False: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has instituted a series of reforms backed by a majority of member states, including the U.S., aimed at greater accountability, transparency and clarity in UN Peacekeeping. Learn more about these initiatives here.