# EU foreign ministers say they are serious about protecting the ICC

Date: 2026

On 12 October 2026, EU foreign ministers discussed the new U.S. institutional sanctions on the International Criminal Court and signaled willingness to protect the tribunal. EU foreign policy chief [Kaja Kallas](/people/kaja-kallas) said member states were serious about protecting the court and noted that the six-month U.S. implementation period left time for dialogue. She had also spoken with ICC President Tomoko Akane about options to keep the institution working. The response turned the sanctions into a dispute between Washington and allied governments over whether U.S. sovereignty objections justify financial pressure on a treaty-based court.

## Sources

- https://agenceurope.eu/en/bulletin/article/13958/6/us-sanctions-against-icc-member-states-express-willingness-to-protect-court

## Methodology

https://factrail.ai/methodology

Canonical: https://factrail.ai/facts/eu-ministers-vow-protect-icc-after-us-sanctions-2026-10-12