Dismissal of Putin's Magnificent Welcome in Mongolia Amidst Ongoing International Arrest Warrant
Today, Putin publicly embarrassed Mongolia by making use of it as a pawn in his geopolitical strategies, asserted Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriyj Kostin on the online platform X. "By ignoring the request to detain Putin, Mongolia voluntarily wagered its international standing," he added further.
A spokesperson for Borrell emphasized that the EU urges all signatories of the ICC treaty to offer "unrestricted assistance" to bring Putin to justice.
During the celebration on the main square of the capital Ulan Bator, decorated with massive Russian and Mongolian flags, officials presented soldiers in traditional attire and on horseback, among other things. It marked Putin's first visit to an ICC member state since the arrest warrant was issued against him in March 2023 for allegedly deporting Ukrainian children.
Putin and Mongolian President Uchnaagiin Chüreslsüch watched the ceremony together. The visit by the Kremlin leader was to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the victory of Soviet and Mongolian forces over Japan. Putin commended the "respectable stance" of Mongolia, which has not denounced Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Both nations share "similar viewpoints on several current international matters," Putin added.
Putin chose not to comment on the arrest warrant against him, but experts suggested that the trip to an ICC member country was already a demonstration of power by the Kremlin leader. Passant Altanbajar Altanchujag told AFP in Ulan Bator that it would be "unethical and unjust" to detain Putin. The two neighboring countries, China and Russia, "are highly significant to us," the 26-year-old said.
However, protests against the visit took place the day prior, with protesters carrying signs reading "Remove war criminal Putin from here." A planned demonstration on Tuesday was foiled by a heavy security presence. Zasral Bat-Oschir of the "No War" movement told AFP that she and other activists were detained by police for five hours because they wished to protest against Putin's visit.
Mongolia, sandwiched between Russia and China, was under Soviet control during the Soviet era. Today, it is a thriving democracy, but it continues to value good relationships with Moscow. "It was unthinkable that Putin would be detained," said political expert Bajarlchagwa Munchnaran. "From Ulan Bator's perspective, the current ICC arrest warrant controversy is a passing issue - unlike the need to maintain steady and secure relations with the Kremlin."
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman criticized Putin's trip to Mongolia on Monday. "Mongolia has allowed a suspected criminal to evade justice," said Georgiy Tychji on social media networks. Thus, the country shares responsibility for Putin's "war crimes."
The ICC had reminded authorities prior to Putin's visit that its members have the "obligation" to apprehend him. However, if they do not, the court in The Hague has limited options.
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March 2023. It declared that there were "sufficient reasons to believe" that Putin was responsible for committing the war crime of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children to Russia. Kyiv accuses Russian officials of moving thousands of children from Ukrainian orphanages and other state institutions to Russia.
Mongolia ratified the Rome Statute of the ICC in 2000 and confirmed its ratification in 2002. Despite this, the Kremlin stated before the trip that Putin had "no concerns" about a possible arrest.
The EU, led by High Representative Josep Borrell, encourages all ICC treaty signatories to provide "unrestricted assistance" in bringing President Putin to justice.
During his visit, President Putin commended Mongolia's "respectable stance" for not denouncing Russia's invasion of Ukraine, demonstrating their shared viewpoints on international matters.
