Trump stated that the US campaign against the ICC is aimed at protecting Netanyahu, not himself
Kyiv • UNN
US President Donald Trump stated that Washington's campaign against the ICC is aimed at protecting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Secretary of State Rubio reported that after the start of the campaign, five countries announced their withdrawal from the court.
U.S. President Donald Trump said that Washington's campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC) is primarily aimed at protecting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other individuals, not himself. Reuters reports, writes UNN.
Details
Trump made this statement after Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed a Cabinet meeting at Camp David that five countries have announced their intention to withdraw from the court since the start of the U.S. campaign against the ICC.
There is no information that they are prosecuting me. It could happen, but he is not trying to protect me. He is trying to protect Bibi and various other people. But right now there is no indication that I am one of them
Rubio stated risks for U.S. military personnel
Marco Rubio, for his part, emphasized that the greatest risk, in his opinion, exists for American servicemen who may in the future be tried for their actions during military operations.
Reuters notes that the United States has never been a party to the Rome Statute and is not a member of the ICC. At the same time, the court can consider crimes committed by citizens of non-member countries if they were committed on the territory of a state party to the statute.
According to the agency, Trump's confrontation with the ICC dates back to his first presidential term, and after his re-election in 2024, it intensified amid the court's issuance of an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the war in the Gaza Strip.
The Trump administration says it will continue to urge other countries to withdraw from the ICC and will also use sanctions and visa restrictions against the court and related organizations. At the same time, ICC judges and U.S. human rights organizations challenge these measures, considering them a violation of freedom of speech.