The Trump administration is withdrawing the United States from a major international anti-corruption organization, continuing President Donald Trump’s broader reassessment of American participation in multilateral institutions.
The United States formally notified the Council of Europe that it will leave the Group of States against Corruption, commonly known as GRECO, after more than 25 years of participation.
The withdrawal will take effect Dec. 31, according to the Council of Europe.
The State Department said its review concluded that continued participation in GRECO was not producing sufficient benefits for American national security to justify the financial and diplomatic commitment.
“The U.S. Department of State’s primary responsibility is to protect the American people,” a department spokesperson said.
The department added that GRECO requires the United States to make annual financial contributions but “does not provide tangible benefits to U.S. national security.”
“The era of writing blank checks to international bureaucracies is over,” the department said.
The decision represents the latest move by Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to reduce U.S. participation in international organizations the administration believes do not sufficiently advance American interests.
GRECO was established by the Council of Europe in 1999 to evaluate how effectively participating governments comply with anti-corruption standards.
The United States joined the organization in 2000.
Despite its connection to the Council of Europe, participation is not limited to European countries or members of the European Union.
The United States and Kazakhstan have participated as non-European members.
Russia and Belarus are the only countries that previously withdrew from GRECO, although the circumstances surrounding their exits differed significantly from the U.S. decision.
Russia ceased participating after its expulsion from the Council of Europe following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Belarus announced its withdrawal from GRECO later that year.
Participating governments are periodically evaluated to determine whether their laws, institutions and enforcement practices comply with established anti-corruption standards.
GRECO then publishes recommendations and conducts follow-up evaluations to determine whether governments have implemented them.
Its reviews examine issues including conflicts of interest, government ethics, financial disclosures, judicial independence, law enforcement integrity and safeguards against corruption involving senior government officials.
The United States underwent multiple evaluation rounds during its membership.
GRECO’s fifth evaluation of the United States examined corruption prevention and integrity standards involving senior executive branch officials and federal law enforcement agencies.
Earlier evaluations examined areas including political financing, criminalization of corruption, prosecutors and judges.
According to a previous GRECO assessment, the United States had fully implemented the recommendations from its first evaluation round. Compliance levels reported for subsequent rounds varied, including 87% for the second round, 44% for the third and 75% for the fourth.
The Trump administration says withdrawing from GRECO does not mean the United States is abandoning international anti-corruption efforts.
Instead, the State Department said it intends to concentrate American resources on programs that produce more direct national-security or economic benefits.
The department identified sanctions, visa restrictions and targeted foreign assistance among the tools it considers more effective.
Such measures can be directed at specific foreign officials, businesses or organizations accused of corruption rather than relying on broader international monitoring systems.
The administration described those policies as “higher-impact tools” for addressing corruption that threatens American security and economic interests.
The approach reflects a recurring theme of Trump’s second administration: evaluating international organizations primarily according to the direct benefits the White House believes they provide the United States.
The Council of Europe responded by expressing regret over Washington’s departure while emphasizing the United States’ contributions during its membership.
“The United States has participated in GRECO since 2000 and has been a valuable contributor to its work and to the exchange of experience and good practice in preventing and combating corruption,” the organization said.
It also left open the possibility that Washington could eventually return.
“GRECO remains open to resuming cooperation with the United States in the future in support of shared efforts to prevent corruption, strengthen integrity and uphold the rule of law,” the organization added.
The GRECO withdrawal fits into a much broader reassessment of America’s relationship with international institutions under Trump.
The administration has repeatedly argued that the United States provides disproportionate amounts of money and other resources to international organizations without receiving corresponding benefits.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
