Russian President Putin welcomed in Mongolia despite ICC arrest warrant
Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Mongolia, marking his first visit to an International Criminal Court (ICC) member state since the court issued an arrest warrant for him last year.
Upon his arrival, Putin was greeted with a grand ceremony in the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar, where he was welcomed by Mongolia’s leader, President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh.
The ICC has issued a warrant for Putin’s arrest over allegations of the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children. However, a Kremlin spokesperson has stated that there are no concerns about the possibility of Putin’s arrest during this visit.
The reception in Ulaanbaatar featured soldiers on horseback and martial anthems played by a live band. Despite the festive welcome, a small group of protesters gathered at Genghis Khan Square on Monday afternoon, holding signs that read “Get War Criminal Putin out of here.”
Another protest is scheduled for Tuesday at the Monument for the Politically Repressed, which commemorates victims of Mongolia’s Soviet-backed communist regime.
Security forces prevented some protesters from getting close to the Russian president upon his arrival. Prior to the visit, Ukraine had urged Mongolia to arrest Putin.
“We call on the Mongolian authorities to comply with the mandatory international arrest warrant and transfer Putin to the International Criminal Court in the Hague,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on Telegram.
The court alleged last year that the Russian president was responsible for war crimes, focusing on the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.
It has also issued a warrant for the arrest of Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, for the same crimes.
It alleges the crimes were committed in Ukraine from 24 February 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Moscow has previously dismissed the allegations and described the arrest warrants as “outrageous.”
ICC members are generally expected to detain suspects if an arrest warrant is issued, though there is no enforcement mechanism to compel compliance.
The Hague-based court emphasized last week that members have an “obligation” to take action. However, Mongolia has not publicly addressed Ukraine’s or the ICC’s request.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Mongolia has maintained friendly relations with Russia.
The former Soviet satellite state has not condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has abstained from voting on the conflict at the United Nations.
Mongolia, which also shares a border with China, relies on Russia for gas and electricity.
Russia has been negotiating for years to build the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline, which aims to transport 50 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas annually from its Yamal region to China via Mongolia.
This project is part of Russia’s strategy to offset a decline in gas sales to Europe, following widespread boycotts of Russian resources due to the invasion of Ukraine.