Spain's Sanchez asks EU to block US sanctions on ICC

Spain's Sanchez asks EU to block US sanctions on ICC Submitted by MEE staff on Wed, 05/06/2026 - 11:16 The leader urges the EU to protect independence of the international court and the UN and their 'actions to end' Gaza genocide Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (L) looks at European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen prior to a roundtable as part of the EU Western Balkans summit in Brussels on 17 December 2025 (Nicolas Tucat/AFP) Off Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday called on the European Commission to activate the EU's Blocking Statute to shield the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the United Nations from US sanctions. "Spain does not look the other way," Sanchez wrote on X. "The EU cannot stand idly by in the face of this persecution," he added, calling on Brussels to protect the independence of both institutions and their "actions to end the genocide in Gaza ".