President Donald Trump threatened on Monday evening to permanently withdraw US funds from the World Health Organization if he "did not commit to making substantial improvements in the next 30 days."
In a letter to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Trump said: "It is clear that the repeated missteps on your part and in your organization to respond to the pandemic have been extremely costly to the world. the only way forward for the World Health Organization is if it can truly demonstrate its independence from China.
"My administration has already started discussions with you on how to reform the organization. But we must act quickly. We have no time to waste."
The threat comes at a remarkable time. The coronavirus pandemic killed more than 90,000 Americans and more than 318,000 people worldwide by the end of Monday and, although signs of some vaccine trials are promising, there is no cure for the virus.
The letter also highlights the extent to which the blame directed at WHO and China has become a determining factor in the President's response to the epidemic.
While many of his predecessors would rely on global institutions to help stem the tide of a pandemic, Trump's ultimatum is just the latest sign of his distrust of global entities.
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