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Trump threatens to cut aid to countries opposing US at UN

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US President Donald Trump has threatened to cut off financial aid to countries that back a United Nations (UN) resolution opposing US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, to be voted on by the General Assembly today.

Trump told White House reporters: “They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars, and then they vote against us. Let them vote against us. We’ll save a lot. We don’t care.”

Today’s vote follows deliberations in the Security Council on Monday, with the US ultimately using its veto to block a resolution which expressed “deep regret at recent decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem”.

The resolution to be debated at the General Assembly today is thought to closely resemble the resolution put before the Security Council on Monday. It reportedly calls on members to declare the US announcement “null and void”, demands that countries avoid “any decisions and actions which purport to have altered the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem” and calls upon all states to comply with existing security council resolutions.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has warned states that Trump had asked her to report on “who voted against us” on Thursday.

In a letter to dozens of member states, she said “the President and the US take this vote personally. The President will be watching this vote carefully and has requested I report back on those countries who voted against us. We will take note of each and every vote on this issue. The President’s announcement does not affect final status negotiations in any way, including the specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem, The President also made sure to support the status quo of Jerusalem’s holy sites.”

She also tweeted yesterday: “At the UN we’re always asked to do more and give more. So, when we make a decision, at the will of the American people about where to locate OUR embassy, we don’t expect those we’ve helped to target us. On Thursday there’ll be a vote criticising our choice. The US will be taking names.”

Despite pressure from the US, the resolution is expected to pass with a large majority.