President Donald Trump used his Tuesday address to the United Nations General Assembly to defend newly announced sanctions on the International Criminal Court and condemn what he called failing global institutions.

The speech followed reports on Monday that the Trump administration was preparing sweeping sanctions targeting ICC officials, judges and prosecutors in response to the court's investigations touching on the United States and its allies, including Israel.

Trump repeated his long-standing criticism that the United Nations spends heavily while delivering little, and he pressed member states to accept a reduced US financial contribution. He also touted his administration's foreign-policy record and criticised European allies over trade and defence spending.

The address drew immediate pushback from European delegations and human rights organisations. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International condemned the ICC sanctions as an assault on international justice. Officials from several EU member states reaffirmed their support for the court.

The ICC, based in The Hague, has faced repeated US pressure since Trump returned to office. A court spokesperson said the sanctions would not deter its work and that it would continue to act independently under the Rome Statute.