Jetten warns Trump against further sanctions against the ICC

Prime Minister Rob Jetten cautioned President Donald Trump against imposing further sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), urging him not to jeopardize the relationship between Europe and the United States. "My message to President Trump is very clear: don’t do it. Do not further jeopardize the relationship between Europe and the US by imposing new sanctions on the ICC," Jetten stated.

Recent reports from the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and the Associated Press suggest the U.S. plans to escalate its conflict with the ICC by sanctioning the institution as a whole. The White House has already sanctioned 13 ICC staff members, including its president, Japanese Judge Tomoko Akane, for investigating alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

As the court's host state, the Netherlands is obligated to assist with security, visa facilitation, and transportation for defendants and witnesses. Some opposition parties in the Netherlands believe the government is not doing enough to protect the ICC. Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister Tom Berendsen stated that the Netherlands has been meeting with the court and other countries to discuss the situation, adding that "Dutch efforts have contributed to the Court’s ability … to continue the vast majority of its operations unimpeded thus far."