The Trump administration paid $725 million toward the United Nations regular budget, helping the United States avoid losing its General Assembly vote under Article 19 of the U.N. Charter (the rule governing voting rights for members with excessive arrears) ahead of next week’s meeting in New York. The U.N. also received $102 million from Washington for peacekeeping. The United States remains the largest contributor to the U.N. budget but still owes $1.312 billion to the regular budget. The payment followed the administration’s criticism of the organization, reductions in funding to U.N. agencies and calls for continued reforms. The U.N. is conducting a reform and cost-cutting initiative known as UN80 amid a financial crisis.