Politics

Jul 28, 2026 Eric Alter

After cooperating with the International Criminal Court to indict Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, the US has shifted to waging a scorched-earth campaign against the ICC in the name of protecting Israel. But rather than halting international law’s progress, the US is merely handing the pen to other countries.

ABU DHABI—In 2023, US President Joe Bidenordered US intelligence agencies to share evidence of Russian war crimes with the International Criminal Court, with the goal of indicting Russian President Vladimir Putin. This marked a sharp break from precedent, as the United States had long insisted that the ICC could not exercise jurisdiction over citizens from countries that had not ratified the Rome Statute establishing the Court—a group that includes Russia and the US.