The United States is working to rally its NATO allies in an unprecedented campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, asking European nations to withdraw from the Rome Statute and help “systematically dismantle” the court’s capabilities, Politico reported Thursday.
3+According to the report, during a closed-door meeting of 32 NATO ambassadors in Brussels in mid-July, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker called on allies to join the Trump administration’s fight against the court. Three diplomats present at the meeting said Whitaker ended his remarks with a clear warning to European nations: “We will closely monitor who stands with America.”
Alongside the meeting, the U.S. mission to NATO circulated a document among allies making clear that Washington intends to “systematically dismantle the capabilities of the International Criminal Court.” According to the report, the U.S. demanded that member states of the Rome Statute take immediate steps toward withdrawing from it.
3+American demand doesn’t end there. The document asked allies to reassess the threat Washington claims the court poses to their own countries, publicly condemn what it called the court’s overreach, and immediately halt material support for it. “Let’s end the charade of the International Criminal Court once and for all,” the document stated.
The message drew pushback from some European nations. One diplomat present at the meeting called the American message “quite shocking,” while another termed it “disappointing.” France and the Netherlands stood in defense of the court, making clear they have no intention of joining the effort. Paris emphasized that its support for the ICC remains “unwavering,” while the Netherlands declared full support for the institution headquartered in The Hague.
3+According to the report, the campaign isn’t limited to NATO. American envoys have raised the demand in direct talks with European governments as well, as part of the Trump administration’s effort to expand pressure on the court and isolate it internationally.
The current campaign is a direct continuation of the line the Trump administration announced in July. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said then that the U.S. would formulate a broad government response designed to systematically damage the court’s ability to function. The effort under consideration included additional sanctions, entry restrictions to the U.S., and pressure on countries maintaining ties with the court.
3+The confrontation between Washington and the court intensified following its actions against Israel and the United States. The Trump administration has imposed sanctions in recent years on senior officials and judges at the court, including over proceedings against Israeli officials and an investigation into American military activity in Afghanistan. The U.S. itself is not a party to the Rome Statute.
Just last week, the president of the ICC Assembly of States Parties and seven of her predecessors issued an unusual statement against attempts to isolate the court. According to them, calls for countries to withdraw from the Rome Statute are designed not only to weaken the court, but also to undermine confidence in the international legal system as a whole.