Jetten warns Trump against ICC sanctions — what it means for The Hague

Prime Minister Rob Jetten used the UN General Assembly stage in New York on September 24 to deliver a direct warning to US President Donald Trump: don't sanction the International Criminal Court.

"My message to President Trump is very clear: don't do it. Do not further jeopardize the relationship between Europe and the US by imposing new sanctions on the ICC," Jetten told journalists ahead of his address, as reported by DutchNews.nl.

The warning follows reporting from the Wall Street Journal, Reuters and the Associated Press that the Trump administration plans to escalate its fight with the court by sanctioning the ICC as an institution. The White House has already sanctioned 13 court staff members, including the court's president, Japanese judge Tomoko Akane, over the court's investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza — the same investigation that produced arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others in 2024.

Why this hits close to home

For internationals in The Hague, this isn't just a transatlantic spat. The ICC is the city's flagship international institution — the reason many of you have built careers in international law, diplomacy or the justice sector. The Netherlands, as the court's host state, is legally obliged to support it: cooperating on security, facilitating visas and helping with transportation for defendants and witnesses. If Washington follows through, those practical arrangements get a lot more complicated.

The Dutch government says it is working behind the scenes. Foreign Affairs Minister Tom Berendsen, who is also in New York for the UN's annual meeting, said earlier this year that the Netherlands "disapproves" of the sanctions against ICC staff. In a letter to parliament this month, he wrote that "Dutch efforts have contributed to the Court's ability … to continue the vast majority of its operations unimpeded thus far," as DutchNews.nl reported. Jetten echoed that line in New York, saying the Netherlands is "pulling out all of the diplomatic stops" to prevent escalation.

Not everyone is convinced

Back in the Tweede Kamer (the lower house of parliament), opposition parties aren't satisfied. Kati Piri, an MP for the Pro party, told public broadcaster NOS that the cabinet has adopted a "super weak" stance so far. Critics argue diplomatic language isn't enough when the court's very existence is under threat.

There's also a domestic political dimension Jetten is navigating. This is his first UN address as prime minister, and NU.nl notes it's a chance for him to reposition the Netherlands on the world stage. But he's caught between two constituencies: a US administration that sees the ICC as a threat to American sovereignty, and a Dutch parliament — and public — that expects the government to defend the international legal order the country has championed since the court opened in The Hague in 2002.

What it means for you

If you're living in the Netherlands on a residence permit, especially one tied to an international employer, watch this space. The ICC is more than a landmark in the centre of The Hague; it's a political football. Sanctions could slow down court proceedings, complicate visa arrangements for court staff, and force the Dutch government to pick a side in a very public way.

For now, the Dutch position is clear: dialogue, diplomacy and a hope that Washington blinks. But as Jetten's own words suggest, the window for a quiet resolution may be closing — and the coming weeks will show whether The Hague's status as the world's legal capital survives the pressure.