Obama wins pledge of 40,000-plus troops for U.N peacekeeping

President Barack Obama has announced notable steps to upgrade U.N peacekeeping, with his administration saying more than 50 countries have pledged to contribute more than 40,000 new troops and police to serve in some of the world’s most volatile areas. But there was no sign the U.S., which pays a quarter of the peacekeeping budget, would put more of its own troops into the field. The United States chaired a high-level meeting to strengthen and modernize peacekeeping, whose nearly 125,000 personnel increasingly face threats from extremist groups while being severely stretched in personnel and equipment.

The U.S., which contributes less than 100 troops and police, will contribute $2 million for training of African forces for peacekeeping and $2 million for training on countering improvised explosive devices, among other support.

President Obama.

Obama’s presence, shortly before his first face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of an annual U.N. gathering of world leaders, was the latest sign of high-level U.S. interest in the issue. Putin did not attend the meeting — the only leader of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, which approves peacekeeping missions, not there. For months, officials such as the U.S. military’s top officer and U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power have pressed countries, especially European ones, to contribute more.

Politics Obama UN