EU labeled hypocritical on Netanyahu, says Borrell
Former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has criticized member states for not impartially enforcing ICC arrest warrants. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
The former EU foreign policy chief has criticized member states for inconsistent enforcement of International Criminal Court (ICC) rulings.
Josep Borrell has stated that European Union nations are applying double standards when it comes to enforcing ICC decisions. He highlighted that while EU members have advocated for an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin, there exists a lack of similar resolve regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Borrell emphasized that as signatories to the Rome Statute, the foundational treaty of the ICC, EU countries have a legal duty to uphold the court's decisions.
“Cherrypicking in applying the Rome Statute is incomprehensible,” Borrell said in a statement on X on Friday.
“How can we expect third countries to enforce the ICC arrest warrant against Putin and then say we won’t enforce it against Netanyahu?” he questioned.
In November of the previous year, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas commander Ibrahim al-Masri, citing accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in relation to the Gaza conflict. Earlier, in March 2023, the Hague-based court issued a warrant for Putin concerning war crimes tied to the alleged forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
Various EU nations have expressed mixed reactions to the ICC's decision on Netanyahu, stating their general support for the court’s work yet hesitating to commit to his arrest. Only a few countries have pledged to detain the Israeli Prime Minister if he visits, whereas Hungary has explicitly stated it will take no action. The ICC's decision has faced strong backlash from Israel and its main ally, the US, both of which do not recognize the court's authority.
In contrast, there has been unanimous insistence among most EU nations to act on the arrest order issued for the Russian leader. Following Putin's visit to Mongolia, an ICC member state, in September 2024, the EU condemned Mongolia for its failure to apprehend him. EU lead spokesperson Peter Stano remarked that the bloc expressed “its strongest support for efforts to ensure full accountability” for alleged Russian war crimes, urging all ICC parties to fully cooperate regarding Putin's arrest.
Borrell contended that such inconsistencies in ICC enforcement are “eroding” the bloc’s “credibility as a community of law.”
Russia, which does not recognize the ICC's authority, has consistently dismissed its decisions as invalid. Moscow has labeled the accusations against Putin as absurd, claiming that the children involved were lawfully evacuated from war zones rather than abducted, and it expressed willingness to return them to their families upon appropriate requests. In the interim, Ukraine has acknowledged that many children originally reported as kidnapped were actually residing with their families in third countries. The ICC warrants have also spurred legal action in Russia, with officials involved facing criminal proceedings.
Jessica Kline contributed to this report for TROIB News
Josep Borrell has stated that European Union nations are applying double standards when it comes to enforcing ICC decisions. He highlighted that while EU members have advocated for an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin, there exists a lack of similar resolve regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Borrell emphasized that as signatories to the Rome Statute, the foundational treaty of the ICC, EU countries have a legal duty to uphold the court's decisions.
“Cherrypicking in applying the Rome Statute is incomprehensible,” Borrell said in a statement on X on Friday.
“How can we expect third countries to enforce the ICC arrest warrant against Putin and then say we won’t enforce it against Netanyahu?” he questioned.
In November of the previous year, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas commander Ibrahim al-Masri, citing accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in relation to the Gaza conflict. Earlier, in March 2023, the Hague-based court issued a warrant for Putin concerning war crimes tied to the alleged forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
Various EU nations have expressed mixed reactions to the ICC's decision on Netanyahu, stating their general support for the court’s work yet hesitating to commit to his arrest. Only a few countries have pledged to detain the Israeli Prime Minister if he visits, whereas Hungary has explicitly stated it will take no action. The ICC's decision has faced strong backlash from Israel and its main ally, the US, both of which do not recognize the court's authority.
In contrast, there has been unanimous insistence among most EU nations to act on the arrest order issued for the Russian leader. Following Putin's visit to Mongolia, an ICC member state, in September 2024, the EU condemned Mongolia for its failure to apprehend him. EU lead spokesperson Peter Stano remarked that the bloc expressed “its strongest support for efforts to ensure full accountability” for alleged Russian war crimes, urging all ICC parties to fully cooperate regarding Putin's arrest.
Borrell contended that such inconsistencies in ICC enforcement are “eroding” the bloc’s “credibility as a community of law.”
Russia, which does not recognize the ICC's authority, has consistently dismissed its decisions as invalid. Moscow has labeled the accusations against Putin as absurd, claiming that the children involved were lawfully evacuated from war zones rather than abducted, and it expressed willingness to return them to their families upon appropriate requests. In the interim, Ukraine has acknowledged that many children originally reported as kidnapped were actually residing with their families in third countries. The ICC warrants have also spurred legal action in Russia, with officials involved facing criminal proceedings.
Jessica Kline contributed to this report for TROIB News
