EU Leaders Defend ICC at UN as New US Sanctions Appear Imminent

European Union officials publicly backed the International Criminal Court at the United Nations in New York, warning that mounting pressure on the tribunal raises broader questions about the international legal order.

Speaking at the event, EU High Representative Kaja Kallas said the court was under "immense pressure" and argued that attacks on it and its judges were not merely about one institution. She described the ICC as the world's promise that victims of the gravest international crimes would not be forgotten, adding: "We must protect it."

Kallas reiterated that the European stance has been clear in supporting the court, saying accountability is fundamental for international law to function properly. She noted the EU has various tools at its disposal, while expressing hope that the situation would not escalate to the point of needing them.

European Council President António Costa framed the moment as critical for the world, pointing to spreading conflict and repeated violations of international law, including the UN Charter, by permanent members of the Security Council. The multilateral system, he said, is under stress.

The expressions of support come as the United States is expected to impose a tough new round of sanctions on the court and its judges. Officials in the Netherlands, the court's host country, have been notified that the measures are imminent and are examining ways to help the tribunal keep operating — including paying staff, protecting witnesses and maintaining its detention facility.

Washington has already sanctioned more than a dozen current and former staff members, among them half of the court's sitting judges. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described the effort as a sweeping campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the ICC.

The United States and Israel have strongly objected to the court's arrest warrants for top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over the war in Gaza. Washington has also opposed investigations into its military actions in Afghanistan.

Like Russia, China, India and Israel, the United States has never joined the court, citing fears of politically motivated prosecutions of its military. The ICC currently has 125 member states.

New sanctions could cut the court off from financial and IT services and even prevent it from paying its US employees. When the court's former chief prosecutor was sanctioned in 2025, he lost access to his Microsoft email, his bank accounts were frozen and he was barred from entering the United States.