In a closed-door NATO meeting in Brussels in mid-July 2026, U.S. envoy Matthew Whitaker urged NATO countries to leave the ICC's founding Rome Statute and dismantle the court, warning that the U.S. would watch who stands with America. This campaign was driven by fears that U.S. officials could face ICC war crimes probes. The U.S. mission sent NATO delegations a paper requesting immediate withdrawal steps and public denunciations of the ICC. The push, led internally by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, accused the ICC of infringing on U.S. sovereignty. European NATO members like France and the Netherlands opposed the move and defended the ICC. The campaign forms part of a broader Trump administration trend withdrawing from global institutions, including the Paris Climate Agreement and WHO, while urging NATO allies to assume greater defense responsibilities. The demands exacerbated existing strains in NATO caused by discord over conflicts like Iran, Greenland, and transatlantic trade.

In a closed-door NATO meeting in Brussels in mid-July 2026, U.S. envoy Matthew Whitaker urged NATO countries to leave the ICC's founding Rome Statute and dismantle the court, warning that the U.S. would watch who stands with America. This campaign was driven by fears that U.S. officials could face ICC war crimes probes. The U.S. mission sent NATO delegations a paper requesting immediate withdrawal steps and public denunciations of the ICC. The push, led internally by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, accused the ICC of infringing on U.S. sovereignty. European NATO members like France and the Netherlands opposed the move and defended the ICC. The campaign forms part of a broader Trump administration trend withdrawing from global institutions, including the Paris Climate Agreement and WHO, while urging NATO allies to assume greater defense responsibilities. The demands exacerbated existing strains in NATO caused by discord over conflicts like Iran, Greenland, and transatlantic trade.