EU Fires Back at US Threat to 'Dismantle' International Criminal Court, Warning of Global Rule of Law Crisis

The European Union on Tuesday slammed threats against the International Criminal Court, after Washington vowed a sweeping campaign against the tribunal.We are strongly committed to international criminal justice and the fight against impunity. Attacks or threats against the court-elected officials, personnel or those cooperating with the court, are simply not acceptable, EU spokesman Anouar El Anouni said.In a video posted on X and a lengthy op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed to dismantle the court, adding it posed an intolerable threat to US sovereignty and used international law to wage war against the US.American officials vowed that no diplomatic weapon or financial leverage would be spared in the campaign. The pressure strategy specifically targets nations that rely heavily on United States military defence and foreign assistance.Human rights advocates warn that the hostile offensive against the global court risks fracturing the entire postwar international rule of law News Analysis & Summary The European Union has issued a stern rebuke against the United States' aggressive campaign targeting the International Criminal Court (ICC), following Secretary of State Marco Rubio's vow to 'dismantle' the tribunal. In a statement, EU spokesman Anouar El Anouni declared that threats against the court, its officials, or those cooperating with it are 'simply not acceptable,' reaffirming the bloc's commitment to international criminal justice and the fight against impunity. Rubio, in a video and Wall Street Journal op-ed, framed the ICC as an 'intolerable threat to US sovereignty,' promising to use all diplomatic and financial leverageespecially against nations reliant on US military aidto pressure the court. Human rights advocates warn this hostile offensive risks fracturing the entire postwar international legal order. In my opinion, this confrontation underscores a dangerous erosion of multilateralism. While the US has long criticized the ICC over jurisdictional disputes, a full-scale campaign to 'dismantle' a court designed to prosecute genocide and war crimes sets a perilous precedent. The EU's defense of the ICC is crucial, but without concrete countermeasures, the credibility of international justice hangs in the balance. Source: @trtworld on X/TwitterPublic Engagement Views: 2,320 Shares: 3 Published: July 15, 2026, 3:40 am