Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Mongolia for his first official visit amidst calls for his arrest from the European Union, Ukraine, and the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Despite these calls, Putin was warmly welcomed at the airport by Mongolia’s foreign minister, in what appeared to be a diplomatic snub as the president did not personally greet him. The visit is to commemorate a historical victory between Soviet and Mongolian troops over the Japanese army.
Ukraine and the EU have called on Mongolia to arrest Putin and hand him over to the ICC, as Mongolia is a state party to the ICC and has legal obligations to detain suspects if an arrest warrant has been issued. However, Russia, not a party to the Rome Statute, has dismissed the ICC warrant on Putin as “null and void”.
The ICC has accused Putin of being responsible for abductions of children in Ukraine during the ongoing conflict. Despite facing international isolation over the invasion of Ukraine, Putin has still visited North Korea, Vietnam, and China, but has avoided ICC member states.
Mongolia, heavily dependent on Russia and China for fuel, electricity, and investment in its mining industry, has stated its commitment to cooperating with the ICC. The ICC spokesperson emphasized that Mongolia, as a state party, must obey the court’s decisions, and failure to cooperate may result in consequences decided by the Assembly of States Parties. It remains unclear what measures could be enforced in the event of non-cooperation.
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