EU criticises US sanctions against International Criminal Court
The Netherlands has requested preparations for an EU legal instrument that could bar European firms from following the US sanctions.
The EU criticised new US sanctions targeting the International Criminal Court (ICC) on 9 October 2026, expressing regret and declaring its readiness to take necessary steps to help the tribunal carry out its duties. The European Commission pledged close cooperation with the ICC and said it hoped the six-month delay in applying the sanctions would leave scope for dialogue.
Announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the measures freeze the court’s assets held in the United States. US individuals and companies have six months to cease business with the tribunal. The Trump administration accused the ICC of bias and of unfairly pursuing Americans and Israelis in connection with alleged war crimes.
The EU could respond by using its blocking mechanism, a legal instrument that bars European companies from complying with US sanctions through either action or deliberate inaction. Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said the Netherlands had requested that Brussels prepare the mechanism, although he characterised it as an extreme option.
The ICC denounced the sanctions as an attempt to obstruct justice and an attack on the international legal order. Court president Tomoko Akane said the tribunal would continue its duties independently and impartially, relying on law and evidence.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the US measures. The ICC has issued an arrest warrant for him concerning alleged crimes committed in Gaza.
