Russia regrets U.S. decision to quit UNESCO

Russia regrets the United States’ decision to quit UNESCO and believes that the move will have serious political and financial consequences, Russia’s acting Permanent Representative to UNESCO Kirill Rynza said.

"The decision to quit UNESCO is regrettable. It can be said for sure that the US withdrawal from UNESCO will have both political and financial consequences," Kirill Rynza said.

From the political point of view, it means that the opinion of an entire global region will not be taken into account during the decision-making process, the Russian diplomat noted.

As far as the financial aspect is concerned, the U.S. withdrawal will mean that "Washington’s astronomic debt to the organization of over $600 mln will not be repaid."

"Despite Director-General Audrey Azoulay’s remarks about some sort of financial stability, ensured by the Secretariat, the U.S. withdrawal from the organization will entail most serious consequences," Kirill Rynza said.

The U.S. exited the organization again in 2018, during Trump’s first term in office, saying that UNESCO had an "anti-Israel bias," needed "fundamental reform," and that the United States had a mounting financial debt to the organization.

In 2025, Nicaragua announced its decision to quit the organization.

"The successive withdrawal of two countries in one year illustrates a serious systemic crisis and the Secretariat’s inability to cope with it," Kirill Rynza said.

The Russian diplomat added that at present, UNESCO is experiencing serious problems with the spirit of consensus.