There are nearly 70,000 UN peacekeeping personnel serving in 11 missions around the world. My guest today, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, is in charge of them all. He has served as the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations for the last eight years, giving him deep visibility into the unique role that UN Peacekeeping plays in maintaining international peace and security. In our conversation, he describes the work of UN Peacekeeping in places like Cyprus, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Lebanon, and the work peacekeepers do to prevent conflict and protect civilians.

However, today UN Peacekeeping faces profound financial strain. While the United States contributes very few personnel to peacekeeping, it has historically provided about 25% of the cost of these missions. But the Trump administration is now seeking to eliminate American financial contributions to UN Peacekeeping. In our conversation, Under-Secretary-General Lacroix explains how he is preparing for potential cuts, and what impact such a massive budget shortfall would have on the operations of peacekeeping around the world. This is a pivotal moment for UN Peacekeeping, and Jean-Pierre Lacroix explains what is at stake in terms of the ability of blue helmets to protect civilians in conflict and prevent crises from spilling out of control.