Russian President Vladimir Putin embarked on an official visit to Mongolia on Tuesday, unaffected by an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his alleged involvement in war crimes in Ukraine.
Upon arrival in Ulaanbaatar, Putin was greeted with a formal honor guard and a display of large Mongolian and Russian flags in Genghis Khan Square. This is his first visit to Mongolia in five years. The Mongolian capital has welcomed Putin without responding to the ICC’s request for his detention.
Mongolia, an ICC member state, has faced international pressure to arrest Putin since the court’s warrant was issued last year. The warrant charges him with war crimes, including the alleged deportation of Ukrainian children. Mongolia has abstained from voting on UN resolutions regarding the Ukrainian conflict.
During his visit, Putin and Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh plan to commemorate Soviet and Mongolian troops’ victory over Japanese forces in Manchuria in 1939. The visit also includes discussions about various economic projects, such as the proposed Trans-Mongolian gas pipeline between China and Russia.
The ICC’s arrest warrant for Putin has not been carried out, as member states are required to detain suspects but lack a strong enforcement mechanism.
With input from BBC, Al Jazeera, the Associated Press, the Guardian.
