The Netherlands is preparing for the United States to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court in the latest escalation of the Trump administration’s attacks on the global tribunal.

Dutch officials have been told by the United States that potentially devastating sanctions on the institution are forthcoming, diplomatic and government officials with knowledge of the briefings told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly.

The Netherlands is looking at ways to help the court maintain payments to staff and to protected witnesses, and to ensure that security at the detention facility is not disrupted.

Washington has already sanctioned more than a dozen current and former staff members, including half of the court’s sitting judges, in what Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described as a “sweeping campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the International Criminal Court.”

The sanctions are retaliation for the court’s investigations of officials from the U.S. and Israel, which aren’t among the Hague-based court’s 125 member states. The court has issued arrest warrants for top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over the war in Gaza. Netanyahu and Israel strongly deny the allegations.

Typically reserved for autocrats, terrorists and cartels, sanctions can be devastating. They could prevent the court from accessing financial and IT services, and even paying its U.S. employees.

When the court’s former chief prosecutor was sanctioned in 2025, he lost access to his Microsoft email, his bank accounts were frozen and he was barred from entering the United States.

According to two sources familiar with the situation, U.S. officials warned their Dutch counterparts that sanctions would be levied as early as Monday (September 21, 2026) and encouraged the court’s host state to withdraw from the institution. The United States, along with other major global powers including Russia, China and India, is not a member.

The ICC has been preparing for months for the possibility of sanctions. Earlier this year, the court migrated off Microsoft products onto a German software provider, according to three ICC staff members who were not authorised to speak on the record. It has also changed insurance and other financial providers to companies without a footprint in the United States.

Dutch and court officials are hoping for a six-month grace period before the sanctions come into effect, arguing the institution needs time to sever itself from American companies which could face huge financial penalties if they are found to be in violation.

Beyond migrating to European-based alternatives, the Netherlands and the European Union have few options to protect the institution.

The EU “blocking statute” can be used to protect European court staff by preventing European companies from complying with the US measures, though it’s unclear whether the statute would shield the ICC itself, because it’s an international body, not a European one. EU citizens are entitled to a basic bank account, but that doesn’t provide access to credit cards or U.S. payment facilities.

A small but growing number of the global tribunal’s member states have announced plans to leave the institution in recent months, including Venezuela and Chad.

Chad specifically cited the United States in its decision to withdraw. Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Sabre Fadoul said in a statement that during a phone call with a U.S. official in July, “the American side expressed its concerns regarding the functioning of this institution and requested that Chad reconsider” its membership.

On a chilly summer evening at the Wagener Stadion, Argentina’s women had their own Maracanazo moment. Netherlands does not lose often. In the last 13 years, it has lost just one game a year while lifting three successive World Cups.

On Saturday, too, Netherlands was on the verge of winning before Argentina struck late to hold it to a 1-1 draw. The Argentines went on to dethrone the Dutch in a penalty shootout.

After Cristina Cosentino saved two Netherlands penalties, Sofia Cairo made it 3-1 when she put the ball in the net and sparked celebrations in the Argentina camp.

It was doubly sweet for the South American nation as it avenged its 2022 final loss while also silencing a partisan home crowd at one of the cathedrals of the sport.

In a highly anticipated rematch, both teams struggled to impose themselves in open play as they looked overawed by the occasion. It was left to the talismanic dragflickers to have their say in penalty corners.

It needed 30 minutes for the first one to arrive. Yibbi Jansen didn’t even need a sighter and the tournament’s top-scorer sounded the boards to hoist the lead for the host.

In response, Argentina’s penalty corner set-up squandered four chances in the third quarter.

But, the South Americans continued to push on through Cairo, whose snaking runs into the circle troubled the home side’s defence and earned many penalty corners.

With seven minutes to go, Argentina opted for a variation. Agustina Gorzelany fired her dragpush into the path of a teammate, who deflected the ball to an unmarked Maria Granatto for the equaliser.

In the third-place play-off, co-host Belgium beat Australia 1-0 through a goal from Charlotte Engelbert.

The result (final): Netherlands 1 (Yibbi Jansen 30-pc) drew with Argentina 1 (Maria Granatto 53-pc). Argentina won 3-1 on penalties.

Relevance for World Cup classification matches is a matter of perspective. For this Indian women’s team, which suffered a heart-breaking exit in its push for a semifinal berth, a best-ever finish since the inaugural 1974 edition was at stake.

Having picked itself up to go again, this side earned itself a small piece of history by finishing fifth with a 3-1 win over Germany here at the Wagener Stadion on Thursday.

It was a counter-attacking clinic as goals from Ishika and Navneet Kaur in the second half subdued the world no. 5 ranked side.

Starting the tournament ranked ninth, Sjoerd Marijne’s India has exceeded expectations in the Netherlands, pulling off draws against China (ranked 4th), England (7th) and Australia (8th) to add to this result.

It will now head into the Asian Games next month, confident of challenging for the gold.

After a passive start, Germany came alive in the second quarter, making multiple circle entries without threatening India’s goal. But it was India which shaded Germany for attempts on goal, when Navneet’s powerful backhanded drive drew a save from Finja Starck. Salima Tete was alive to a couple of rebounds but Starck kicked them both out.

Germany continued to dominate possession for majority of the game, but the Indian defense, which included tournament debutant, Lalthantluangi, held firm.

Then, against the run of play, India opened the scoring after Neha slipped a through ball for Ishika, who composed herself before lifting the ball past Starck for her first World Cup goal.

India found plenty of joy through Germany’s centre, repeatedly catching its defense out on the counter. After having gone three games without a goal, India suddenly scored three in the space of four minutes.

After going cold from PCs in previous outings, Navneet struck from India’s second short corner before she added another with a cool flick into the roof of the net from another turnover.

Germany persevered in the last stretch with Savita Punia needing to pull off a couple of key saves, but she couldn’t keep out Lynn Krings’ effort with 67 seconds left on the clock.

The result: India 3 (Ishika 42, Navneet Kaur 43-PC, 46) bt Germany 1 ( Lynn Krings 58).

The lack of field goals remains an area of concern for the Indian men’s team, which is staring at a World Cup exit, after another disappointing result against a top-ranked side.

On Saturday (August 22, 2026), India lost 3-1 to co-host Netherlands in the second round, leaving it at the bottom of the Group E table.

According to head coach Craig Fulton, that was the “best we’ve played stats-wise” against Netherlands in a major tournament, but the result has left the group “bitterly disappointed.”

India scored from another Penalty Corner, but came up short in field play. It has scored just three field goals in the tournament with two of them coming in the win over World no. 12 Pakistan. Senior forward Mandeep Singh, who is yet to open his account, has had a tough outing.

“We played a good game with a good game plan. I thought we needed to score a goal in the first half. We created one or two really good chances but it wasn’t to be. When we came out in the third quarter [we were] okay. It was still fine,” Fulton told The Hindu after the loss.

“We just couldn’t connect enough in the D to try and get a field goal. I think we won probably four [six] PCs and scored one. But [in] field chances, we needed the field goal. That was what we were pushing for,” he added.

Although India conceded two counter-attacking goals, which included an error from midfielder Manpreet Singh for the third goal, the South African refused to point fingers at any players for the goals conceded.

“I think I can’t fault anyone’s effort and approach and attitude to doing what needed to be done today. It was a really, really tough game. I thought we did really well. We just needed to get ahead,” said Fulton.

Fulton revealed that skipper Harmanpreet Singh, who scored the lone goal from a Penalty Corner, played through a back injury, which had to be managed. Right after Harmanpreet scored, he went off the field to receive treatment, during which time, Netherlands re-established its two-goal lead.

“We’ll see now afterwards. He had a stiff back. He rested in training but it wasn’t serious. and then he played and he scored. But at the same time, we have to look after the human first and make sure he’s okay,” said Fulton.

To pull off a monumental turnaround and make the semifinals, India will need a victory of four goals or more against Argentina, while Netherlands also needs to beat England on Monday.

India head coach Craig Fulton has called for his men to refocus ahead of what he calls a ‘new tournament’ in the second round of the men’s World Cup, starting against Netherlands on Saturday.

India’s mixed start in the Pool stage led to a second place finish behind England, which has left it needing two wins to give itself a good chance of qualifying for the semifinals.

“We’re a little bit behind the eight ball because we didn’t take the three points through. But at this level as well, any team can beat any team,” Fulton told The Hindu.

“That doesn’t mean we’re out. We have to take care of our two games. We’ll just go one game at a time and let’s see what happens.”

A deficient defensive structure and unforced errors leaving it open to transitions have proved costly. India has let in eight goals, which is the worst defensive record among the top eight teams left in the tournament.

Fulton emphasised on getting the pressing right and its counterattacks with upcoming matches against two of the dangerous sides, Netherlands and Argentina.

India’s recent meetings against these sides yielded just one 3-2 win over the Dutch, while losing the other three with an aggregate scoreline of 4-15.

“It’s a game [vs Pakistan] that is steeped in history, where we need to take more structure into that game, and it got away from us a little bit.

“But at the same time, we played well offensively and then let them back in the game…Now, we have a totally different opposition, that if we give them too many opportunities, yes, they will punish you.

“We’re playing well going forward, and we need to keep improving on the defence and keeping the confidence in going forward. So the press, the counter, is where we need to just keep hammering,” said the South African.

While Harmanpreet Singh’s form makes India a lethal Penalty Corner outfit, the three goals from field play rank it ninth in the 16-team tournament.

On India’s lack of field goals, Fulton said, “It’s a [matter of] small composure. They play a certain way, and one team plays man-to-man, one team plays zonal, which puts seven players, eight players in the D.

“That’s a different approach to playing if there were three in the D. We’ve got different plans for both teams, but at the same time, we’ve got to implement our plan.”

There is no ‘away’ World Cup if you are an Indian team. You will be hard-pressed to go to a corner of the globe without running into an Indian and Amstelveen is no exception. The Amsterdam suburb, one of the World Cup co-hosts, is home to more Indians than any other nationality.

For skipper Harmanpreet Singh, the game against Pakistan felt like ‘playing in India’ as he was serenaded by the large number of expats after his two goals in the 5-3 win on Wednesday.

India’s Manpreet Singh celebrates with fans after the World Cup Field Hockey pool D match between India and Pakistan in Amstelveen, Netherlands, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
AP

But admiration also adds pressure to perform as India chases its first world title in 51 years. Despite securing qualification to the second round, India has underwhelmed.

The Men in Saffron have conceded eight goals — joint-fourth worst defensive record, while exhibiting a drop in intensity and lack of control while defending leads.

All the while, India has played only one of the tournament’s top sides. India’s next opponents Netherlands and possibly Argentina will not extend that courtesy.

Against world No. 3 England, India crumbled under a relentless man-to-man press in the third quarter to surrender its advantage, before losing 4-2.

With no carryover points from that game, India will enter the next round with a mountain to climb.

In its final Pool game, Indian midfielders Hardik Singh and Vivek Sagar Prasad’s errors on the ball, played a part in two of Pakistan’s goals. Wales, too, found itself in promising positions but India came out unscathed.

Head coach Craig Fulton, who preaches ‘defending to win’ mantra, will be well aware that these repeated errors cannot be the bedrock for a sustained title challenge.

“100% defence,” stressed Harmanpreet when asked what needs improving. He also called for his side to cut out ‘silly mistakes’ while managing possession inside its own 25 metres.

The biggest positive has been Harmanpreet’s return to form which has boosted India’s Penalty Corner conversion. India has scored the most goals (6) from PCs with an efficiency of 50%.

Forward Abhishek Nain provided much-needed individual brilliance in field play, adding two goals against Pakistan. However, his senior forward Mandeep Singh is yet to open his account with the decision-making inside the final 23-yards found wanting.

Abhishek was frank with his assessment, too, stating, “We need to improve because if we play with this kind of connection in the next few matches, I don’t think we will be able to score.”

Yet Fulton’s protection of his players will only stretch so far, with the second round promising to be make-or-break.

With the Indian team entering its final stage of preparations for the World Cup, women’s hockey coach Sjoerd Marijne is focussing on fitness, aware it could be the difference in a game of small margins.

“That is our main focus now, improving the fitness, because we know they understand the tactics and we have enough matches to practice that. But these are the moments we really have to make the next step in our fitness.

“I think we’re doing really well, we are pushing the girls hard. It’s always a combination of high intensity and good rest and also finding the quality you want on the pitch. And the better the fitness is, the better the outcome will be,” he told The Hindu in an interaction on Thursday..

The team would be leaving for Germany on July 29 to play two matches before travelling to Netherlands on August 2. It will play four practice matches against Chile, Japan, Netherlands and Australia before the World Cup starts on August 15 with India’s opening game against China.

Two months mater, the team will have a chance to book an Olympic ticket at the Asian Games but Marijne understands the two are very different competitions.

“I think both tournaments are really different, there are different things at stake. Playing Asian teams is completely different than playing European or South American teams.

“The playing style at the Asian Games is more chaotic, so we have to stay away from that. I don’t see one tournament impacting the other in a negative way. It has been a while since we played China so we will see what is our level against them.

“I think Netherlands is by far the best team in the world. But, I think they all can win against each other. We will always create opportunities and that will be more difficult against higher ranked teams, so if you get three chances, you have to make at least one or two count. We’re working really hard on that,” he insisted.