Russia on Wednesday accused the United States of using the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a “hand tool” to achieve its political objectives.
“When investigations were carried out against countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia that Washington disliked, the U.S. supported these decisions, often initiating them themselves,” Vyacheslav Volodin, the head of the Russian State Duma, said on Telegram.
Volodin highlighted the ICC’s recent actions seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders, noting the U.S.’s swift defense of the Israeli officials. He remarked that this is the first time Washington’s closest ally has faced prosecution by the ICC.
“It is unacceptable for the U.S. leadership when structures like the ICC, PACE (Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe), the European Parliament, and others make decisions against the will of the hegemon,” Volodin added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously criticized the U.S. for promoting a world order based on a “rules-based order” rather than international law. Volodin argued that these rules are subject to change based on political interests, which he deemed unacceptable.
Volodin called for the strengthening of a multipolar and fair world order to eliminate what he termed the “political fraud” of the U.S. and address global issues.
On Monday, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan applied for arrest warrants against Netanyahu, Gallant, and three Hamas leaders for “war crimes and crimes against humanity” committed in Israel and the Gaza Strip.
That same day, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson stated on X: “In the absence of leadership from the White House, Congress is reviewing all options, including sanctions, to punish the ICC and ensure its leadership faces consequences if they proceed. If the ICC is allowed to threaten Israeli leaders, ours could be next.”–News Desk