'Europe will always stand for justice and the respect of international law,' European Commission president argues in statement
Europe will always stand for justice and the respect of international law, president of the EU Commission on Friday after US President Donald Trump's executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC).
"The ICC guarantees accountability for international crimes and gives a voice to victims worldwide. It must be able to freely pursue the fight against global impunity," Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X.
"Europe will always stand for justice and the respect of international law," she added.
Trump on Thursday signed an executive order sanctioning the ICC and accused it of "illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant face arrest warrants issued by The Hague-based court in November last year for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip. Israel has killed more than 47,000 people in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023 and rendered it uninhabitable.
Earlier in the day, Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, said sanctioning the ICC "threatens" the court's independence and undermines the international criminal justice system as a whole.
