Trump Administration Withdraws U.S. From European Anti-Corruption Watchdog GRECO

The Trump administration withdrew the United States from the Group of States against Corruption, or GRECO, a Council of Europe anti-corruption body the U.S. had belonged to since 2001, the Council of Europe said Sept. 29, 2026, after receiving formal notice the prior day. Only Russia and Belarus have left GRECO before. The State Department said membership, which requires an annual financial contribution, "does not provide tangible benefits to U.S. national security," and that it would instead prioritize "visa restrictions, sanctions, and targeted foreign assistance" against corruption directly threatening U.S. interests.

The move extends a broader pattern of U.S. disengagement from international oversight bodies, including earlier exits from the World Health Organization, the U.N. Human Rights Council and the Council of Europe's Venice Commission on constitutional law, and comes a week after the U.S. declined to invite OSCE observers to monitor November's midterm elections.

The withdrawal is final. The Council of Europe said GRECO "remains open to resuming cooperation with the United States in the future."