United States (US) President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to permanently stop the country’s funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) if it does not make ‘substantive improvements’ in the next 30 days.
Trump on Monday tweeted a series of images of the four-page letter it has sent to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus which also outlines the findings of the review that the US has found out about the WHO.
In the letter, Trump listed the various shortcomings of the organization’s management of the global pandemic.
“It is clear the repeated missteps by you and your organization in responding to the pandemic have been extremely costly for the world,” Trump said in the letter.
“The only way forward for the World Health Organization is if it can actually demonstrate independence from China,” he added.
“My administration has already started discussions with you on how to reform the organisation. But action is needed quickly. We do not have time to waste,” wrote Trump.
“That is why it is my duty, as President of the United States, to inform you that, if the WHO does not commit to major substantive improvements within the next 30 days, I will make my temporary freeze of United States funding to the WHO permanent and reconsider our membership in the organization,” he added.
Trump’s statements came just a few days after it agreed to partially restore the country’s funding to the WHO.