Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Mongolia on Monday evening for an official visit, defying an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
Upon his arrival at Buyant-Ukhaa International Airport in the capital Ulaanbaatar, the president was received by Mongolian Foreign Minister Batmunkh Battsetseg and Russian Ambassador Yevsikov Alexei Nikolaevich amid a strong diplomatic presence, the agency reported. Mongolian officer Montsame.
During his stay, Putin held official meetings with his Mongolian counterpart, Ukhnaa Khurelsukh. The signing of several cooperation documents is expected to strengthen bilateral relations, based on a treaty on friendly relations and comprehensive strategic partnership signed in 2019.
In addition, he will take part in a commemorative event for the 85th anniversary of the Battle of the Khalkh River, during which Soviet and Mongolian troops clashed with Japanese forces.
It is Putin’s first visit to an ICC member state since the body issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader last year for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, a move criticized by Moscow.
In 2023, Putin decided not to attend the BRICS summit of emerging economies hosted by South Africa for fear of arrest.
The ICC on Friday formally requested Mongolia, which signed the treaty in 2000 and ratified it in 2002, to cooperate with the court and arrest the Russian president. “States parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC have an obligation to cooperate in accordance with Chapter IX of the Rome Statute, while non-states parties may decide to cooperate voluntarily,” the organization said.
The Court warned that “in the event of non-cooperation, the ICC judges may inform the Assembly of States Parties, which will then adopt” whatever measures it deems appropriate. However, in practice, there is little that can be done against Mongolia for refusing to detain the Russian leader.
Ukraine also joined the campaign and expressed hope that “Mongolia will understand that Putin is a war criminal.” “The abduction of Ukrainian children is just one of the many crimes for which Putin and the rest of Russia’s political and military leaders must be brought to justice,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reported.
Diplomatic relations between Mongolia and Russia date back to 1921, with embassies established in Ulaanbaatar and Moscow since 1922, underlining the bond between the two countries, now renewed amid growing international tensions.
