Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Mongolia despite an ICC arrest warrant for alleged war crimes. The visit raises international concerns and highlights Mongolia’s complex diplomatic stance.
Bollywood Fever: Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to meet with Mongolia’s president and other senior officials, despite the looming threat of arrest under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for alleged war crimes.
The visit marks Putin’s first trip to a member state of the ICC since the warrant was issued last year.
Putin arrived in Mongolia on Monday night and is scheduled to meet President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa on Tuesday.
The two leaders are expected to discuss “issues of relations and cooperation,” according to a statement from the Mongolian government, although specific details were not provided.
This visit is particularly significant as Mongolia, being a signatory to the Rome Statute that governs the ICC, is technically obligated to arrest Putin if he sets foot on its territory.
The warrant was issued over the abduction of children from occupied areas of Ukraine, making Putin’s international travels highly controversial.
In a previous instance, Putin avoided attending a summit in South Africa, another ICC member state, after it was made clear that the country would have to comply with the warrant.
However, Bloomberg News reported that Putin received assurances from Mongolia that he would not be arrested during this visit, citing sources familiar with the Kremlin’s preparations.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on Mongolia to “execute the binding international arrest warrant and transfer Putin to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.” Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the ICC emphasized that signatories to the Rome Statute are obligated to cooperate with the court’s decisions, including arrest warrants. Non-compliance could lead to actions by the court’s oversight body.
Putin’s visit also follows the appointment of the first Mongolian judge to serve on the ICC, an event that President Khurelsukh had previously celebrated.
The timing of the visit has drawn criticism, including from a U.S. Embassy spokesperson in Ulaanbaatar, who stated that Putin should not be given a platform to promote aggression against Ukraine.
Russia is not a member of the ICC, nor is the United States, which complicates the diplomatic landscape surrounding Putin’s travels.
The visit also comes as Russia is looking to strengthen its ties with Mongolia, including plans to build the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline to China, which could also supply gas to Mongolia, according to a recent interview Putin gave to Mongolia’s Unuudur newspaper.
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