President Donald Trump is pulling the U.S. out of an international effort to prosecute Russian President Vladimir Putin — signaling a major departure from the Biden administration’s foreign policy. The move highlights Trump’s commitment to diplomacy over extended legal battles against world leaders.
The U.S. will officially withdraw from the International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine by the end of March — according to a statement from Eurojust, the European Union agency that oversees the initiative. The Biden administration had joined the effort in 2023 to push for legal action against Russian and allied officials accused of war crimes.
Michael Schmid, Eurojust’s president, confirmed in an internal letter that without U.S. involvement, the center’s ability to move forward with cases would be significantly weakened. Despite this, European prosecutors have insisted they will continue their efforts.
In addition to exiting the investigative group, the Trump administration is also cutting back the Justice Department’s War Crimes Accountability Team (WarCAT) — a program created under then-Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022. WarCAT had played a key role in providing case-building assistance and logistical support to Ukraine’s legal system in efforts to prosecute Russian officials.
While the administration has not publicly explained the decision, officials suggest it is part of a broader strategy to prioritize diplomatic negotiations over legal action. Trump has long argued that diplomacy is more effective than legal warfare when dealing with international conflicts.
The decision has drawn criticism from European officials and legal activists who had hoped to use the ICPA to put additional pressure on Moscow. However, Trump’s administration remains focused on de-escalating tensions and redirecting U.S. resources toward peace efforts rather than prolonged court cases.
With this shift in policy, the administration is expected to focus on diplomatic negotiations that could potentially bring a resolution to the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
