Key facts
- The U.S. imposed financial sanctions on the ICC on Oct. 9.
- The sanctions will prohibit transactions with the ICC after a six-month grace period.
- Companies doing business with the ICC after the grace period can be punished by the U.S.
- The ICC issued arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova in 2023 for unlawful transfer of children from Ukraine.
- The ICC also issued arrest warrants in 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.
- The foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, and the U.K. expressed regret and strong disagreement with the U.S. sanctions.
The U.S. on Oct. 9 imposed severe financial sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), which had issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2023. The new sanctions would prohibit transactions with the court after a grace period of six months, and any companies doing business with the court afterward could face punishment from the U.S. government.
In response, the foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, and the U.K. issued a joint statement on Oct. 9, reaffirming their "continued and unwavering support for the independence, impartiality, and integrity of the ICC." They expressed regret and strong disagreement with the U.S. sanctions, stating that "if put into effect, these sanctions will have a significant impact on the court’s work, its dedicated staff and their families."
The ministers committed to continuing to support the court's work and uphold the rules-based international system. They also noted that they would prepare for the Assembly of States Parties in December 2026.
In 2023, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Putin and another Russian official, Maria Lvova-Belova, for the "unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation." Previously, the Trump administration had sanctioned ICC judges individually and criticized the court's investigations into alleged crimes by U.S. military personnel and its actions concerning Israel. In 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.