President Trump urges countries to leave the ICC — The Japan Times
US President Donald Trump called on states to immediately withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) during the UN General Assembly week. He described the court as an “evil” and “arbitrary institution.” As The Japan Times reports, during the General Assembly only Naoero — a small Pacific island state formerly known as Nauru — announced its intention to leave the Rome Statute.
Naoero President David Adeang said in an address to the General Assembly that the country would formally withdraw from the Rome Statute because of what he called the ICC’s “increasing irrelevance.” US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Michael DeSombre said that Naoero was joining states that defend their sovereignty from the court’s “illegitimate overreach.”
US pressure on the ICC
Trump’s call became part of an intensifying US campaign against the court in The Hague. Washington believes that the ICC exceeds its authority by claiming jurisdiction over citizens of countries, including the United States and Israel, that have not ratified the Rome Statute.
The United States has already imposed financial sanctions and visa bans on court staff. According to Reuters sources, US officials have also prepared sanctions that could weaken the ICC’s ability to operate. In July, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio launched a diplomatic campaign aimed at “dismantling the ICC — brick by brick, if necessary.”
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Trump said the campaign was intended to protect Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Israel’s then defense minister, and a Hamas military commander in connection with the war in Gaza.
Support for the court in Europe
At the same time, many states, primarily European ones, supported the ICC. A total of 125 countries are parties to the Rome Statute. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten said at the General Assembly that the court was “under attack” and at risk, and called for the protection of the international legal order.
The European Union supported the court, and its representatives discussed the possibility of preparing a blocking statute in response to potential US sanctions. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said that the bloc has tools to protect the ICC’s functioning and ensure accountability.
After the start of Rubio’s campaign, Venezuela and Chad also announced plans to withdraw from the court. A year earlier, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced their withdrawal, calling the ICC an instrument of “neocolonial repression.”
