Speaking at an annual conference of the court's 124 members, Judge Tomoko Akane did not name Russia or the United States but referred to them as permanent members of the UN Security Council.

U.S. President Joe Biden labeled the warrants "outrageous," contrasting his prior support for similar charges against Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes in Ukraine. Biden previously called the warrant for Putin "justified" and backed efforts to hold Russian forces accountable for atrocities committed during the war.

The president of the International Criminal Court has lashed out at the United States and Russia for interfering with its investigations and calls threats and attacks on the court “appalling.”