EU's Kallas backs ICC amid US tensions, says court targets war crimes

EU defends ICC mandate at G7 talks

The European Union's foreign policy chief on Monday strongly reaffirmed Brussels' support for the International Criminal Court amid mounting tensions with Washington, rejecting American demands that non-member states be shielded from investigation. Speaking to reporters in Paris during the G7 Foreign Ministers' meeting, Kaja Kallas insisted that the tribunal targets war crimes rather than nations, pushing back against US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's calls for written guarantees exempting the United States from ICC jurisdiction.

Kallas directly addressed Washington's concerns that the court targets specific countries, stating: "The ICC is not against countries. It is actually against war crimes." She emphasized that when national authorities fail to prosecute atrocities, international jurisdiction becomes essential, adding: "If countries are not prosecuting war crimes themselves, then it should be the ICC, and it was important to make this point in the G7 format." The Estonian diplomat underlined that EU officials are working to demonstrate to American partners that their fears about politically motivated prosecutions misinterpret both the Rome Statute and the court's foundational mandate.

US sanctions and EU countermeasures

The diplomatic friction follows Washington's imposition of sanctions on the ICC last month, a move triggered after former judge Navi Pillay was named the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize recipient. Those measures built upon earlier US pressure that intensified in 2024 when the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant regarding alleged war crimes in Gaza. Asked whether Brussels would deploy its blocking mechanism to shield European entities from American penalties, Kallas acknowledged such intervention remains "one of the options" but noted that officials view this as a last resort, with roughly six months remaining to negotiate alternative solutions.

Ukraine peace talks

Beyond the ICC dispute, Kallas addressed the upcoming trilateral negotiations on Ukraine scheduled for Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, where Russian, Ukrainian, and US representatives are set to convene for another round of peace discussions. Despite the diplomatic activity, she expressed limited optimism about the talks' prospects, noting that "we have not seen any genuine signs from Russia that they are willing to negotiate in good faith." Russian, Ukrainian, and US representatives are scheduled to convene in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday for a renewed round of trilateral peace negotiations.