Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Mongolia on Monday, Russian television reported, his first trip to a member country of the International Criminal Court (ICC) since the issuance of his arrest warrant on charges of war crimes.
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The ICC and Ukrainian authorities last week urged Mongolia to arrest Putin, who is the subject of an arrest warrant for allegedly “deporting” Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has already assured thatThis possibility did not cause him any “concern.” “Of course, every aspect of the visit was carefully prepared,” he added.
Karim Khan, prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC)
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What if Mongolia does not cooperate with the ICC?
Like the rest of the States that adhered to the Rome Statute on which the ICC is based, Mongolia “has an obligation to cooperate” with the court, said a spokesman for the court, Fadi el-Abdallah..
When a member country fails to fulfil its obligations to the ICC, the latter can appeal to the Assembly of Member States, which meets once a year, although any sanctions are usually limited to a reprimand.
Since the court was founded, Other individuals who were the subject of ICC arrest warrants, such as former Sudanese dictator Omar al Bashir, have travelled to states that are signatories to the Rome Statute without being arrested.
A man surveys the destruction at an office center hit by a missile attack in kyiv on September 2, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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Mongolia signed the statute in 2000 and ratified its accession to the ICC two years later.
In a statement, the ICC recalled that Mongolia is a State Party to the Rome Statute of the ICC and relies precisely on its States Parties and other partners to enforce its decisions, including in relation to arrest warrants.
“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 court recalled, warning that “in the event of a lack of cooperation, the ICC judges may make a finding to that effect” and report it to the Assembly of States Parties, which would then take “such measures as it deems appropriate.”
Why is Putin visiting Mongolia?
Last week, the official Mongolian news agency Montsame reported that Putin will meet his Mongolian counterpart, Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, in Ulan Bator, with whom he will “exchange views on bilateral relations and cooperation.”
Putin will also take part in a commemoration event marking the 85th anniversary of the Battle of the Khalkh River, in which Soviet and Mongolian troops clashed with Japanese forces.
Vladimir Putin.
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Following an arrest warrant issued by the ICC last year, the president decided not to attend the BRICS summit in South Africa in 2023 for fear of arrest. “Putin understands the dilemma facing South Africa, but did not want to jeopardise the summit or create problems for South Africa,” South African authorities said at the time.
Instead, Yes, he traveled to China in May this year, North Korea in June and Azerbaijan this month, countries that are not members of the ICC.
Mongolia, despite having been a satellite of the USSR during the Soviet Union’s existence, has since the mid-1990s strengthened ties with the United States and neighboring China, both interested in its abundant mineral resources.
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