According to unnamed diplomatic sources, U.S. Representative Matthew Whitaker urged NATO allies during a closed-door meeting of 32 ambassadors held in Brussels in mid-July to withdraw from the Rome Statute—the founding document of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and join Washington’s campaign to destroy it.
The United States has also sent formal notices to NATO countries demanding they “immediately withdraw” from the ICC. France and the Netherlands have publicly opposed such efforts, affirming their support for the court.
This initiative follows an earlier attempt by the Trump administration to compel NATO members into military actions against Iran, where several nations—including Britain—refused U.S. requests for base access.
Additionally, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pledged on July 13 to eliminate the ICC, calling it a threat that “wages war against the United States not with bullets or missiles but with the force of international law.” In August, the United States imposed personal economic sanctions on ICC Chairman Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye.
ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan has been removed from office amid allegations of sexual harassment.
