Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, accompanied by Battsetseg Batmunkh, Mongolia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, walks past honour guards upon arrival at the airport in Ulaanbaatar on 2 September 2024. (Natalia Gubernatorova / POOL / AFP)
Mongolia rolled out the red carpet for Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit on Monday, despite the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant issued against him. Putin skipped a planned trip to South Africa in 2023 after President Cyril Ramaphosa warned that Russia could declare war on SA if Putin was arrested.
Putin arrived in Mongolia for his first visit to an ICC member state since the arrest warrant was issued last year. The Russian leader is wanted by the ICC for the alleged illegal deportation of Ukrainian children following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Kyiv has urged Mongolia to execute the arrest warrant, but the Kremlin remains unconcerned about Putin’s safety.
Despite pressure from external organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, Mongolia’s decision not to arrest Putin serves as a strategic move that could undermine the ICC’s authority. The visit highlights Putin’s defiance against international calls for his arrest, showcasing Mongolia’s balancing act between Russia and China.