President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to cut off financial aid to countries that vote in favour of a draft United Nations resolution against his decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

"They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars, and then they vote against us,” he said, speaking inside the Oval Office.

“Well, we're watching those votes. Let them vote against us. We'll save a lot. We don't care."

His warning came after Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, said that she is “taking names” of the countries that vote against America in a meeting called to censure Donald Trump’s decision on Jerusalem.

On Thursday the general assembly of the United Nations will hold a highly unusual emergency session, to vote on Mr Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Only 10 such emergency sessions have been convened since 1950, and the last time was in 2009, to discuss occupied East Jerusalem and Palestinian territories.

The vote to condemn Mr Trump’s decision is expected to pass by a wide margin, but Mrs Haley tweeted on Tuesday night that the US will take careful note of which countries vote against them.