US withdraws from Council of Europe anti-corruption watchdog GRECO
The United States has withdrawn from the Council of Europe's anti-corruption monitoring body GRECO as the Trump administration continues to reduce US participation in international organizations.
The Council of Europe said Washington formally notified it on Sept. 28 that it was leaving the Group of States against Corruption. Only two countries had previously withdrawn from GRECO: Russia and Belarus, according to the Associated Press.
The US State Department confirmed the decision, saying participation in the organization requires an annual financial contribution but “does not provide tangible benefits to US national security.”
“The era of writing blank checks to international bureaucracies is over,” the department said.
Washington said it would instead prioritize what it described as more effective anti-corruption tools, including visa restrictions, sanctions and targeted foreign assistance aimed at strengthening investigations into corruption that directly threatens US security and prosperity.
The Council of Europe described the United States as a “valued participant” in GRECO and said the body remained open to renewed cooperation with Washington in the future.
The withdrawal is part of a broader push by the Trump administration to reduce US involvement in international and multilateral organizations that it says are inefficient, exceed their mandates or do not align with US policies.
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