The United States on Tuesday canceled military aid to six east European states to join NATO next year as they refused to sign deals to exempt U.S. citizens from being prosecuted by the International Criminal Court

The United States on Tuesday canceled military aid to six east European states to join NATO next year as they refused to sign deals to exempt U.S. citizens from being prosecuted by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Bulgaria, which is among the six countries, is losing pledged U.S. military aid of US$19.5 million. Earlier, Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister Solomon Passy said his country would side with the EU refusal to permanently exempt Americans from the jurisdiction of the ICC, the BNN recalls. Bulgaria, which is a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, voted earlier this month in support of a resolution to exempt U.S. peacekeepers around the world from being prosecuted by the court for one year but the EU insists this immunity may not become permanent. A total of 90 countries, including the entire European Union, Canada and Australia have ratified the establishment of the court. The U.S. government has rejected its authority because it fears becoming the target of politically motivated prosecutions. The administration of President George W. Bush has signed treaties with 37 countries that have agreed not to hand over American citizens to the court.