US Moves to Rally NATO Allies in Campaign to Dismantle the International Criminal Court - Sarmad

The United States is seeking to rally its allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) behind a campaign aimed at systematically dismantling the International Criminal Court, a move that could heighten tensions across the Atlantic.

During a closed-door meeting of the 32 NATO member-state ambassadors in Brussels in mid-July, the U.S. envoy to the alliance, Matthew Whitaker, asked member states to help dismantle the court, according to three NATO diplomats who spoke to Politico.

The diplomats, who requested anonymity, said that Whitaker urged member states to withdraw from the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the court, and concluded his remarks by saying, “We will closely watch who stands with America.”

The U.S. pressure on allies to withdraw from the court comes amid concerns in Washington about the possibility of American officials being prosecuted for war crimes, and as part of a broader campaign by President Donald Trump’s administration against international institutions and rules that the administration believes constrain U.S. maneuvering room.