Take, for example, the advisory opinion given by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea back in 2024. At the request of the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law (COSIS), the Tribunal outlined countries' obligations to protect the marine environment from greenhouse gas emissions.

The reality, however, is that U.S. sanctions on the ICC are unlikely to be enough. The longer-term goal needs to be to shut down the court altogether or fundamentally reform it. This will likely require intense negotiations with countries who fund it — which include U.S. allies such as France, Canada and the United Kingdom.

The International Criminal Court, sanctioned by Trump after issuing an arrest warrant for Israel's leader, calls on all nations "to stand united for justice."