By adbnu564 Russian President Vladimir Putin was warmly received in Mongolia on Tuesday, despite international pressure for his arrest due to an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant. This marks his first visit to an ICC member country since the court issued the warrant in March 2023.
The ICC warrant accuses Putin of involvement in the abduction of Ukrainian children, placing Mongolia in a delicate position. The country, which transitioned from communist rule to democracy in the 1990s, has significant economic ties with both Russia and China. While Mongolia has fostered relations with Western nations, it remains dependent on its larger neighbors.
In Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, Putin was greeted with an honor guard in traditional red and blue uniforms, reminiscent of Genghis Khan’s personal guard. A crowd observed as Putin and Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa ascended a red-carpeted staircase to the Government Palace, pausing to bow before a statue of Genghis Khan. During the event, a small group of protesters with Ukrainian flags was removed by police, while others with anti-Putin banners dispersed.
The warm reception in Mongolia coincided with a tragic development in Ukraine. Russian forces targeted a military training facility and a nearby hospital in Poltava, Ukraine, resulting in at least 41 deaths and 180 injuries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the attack as one of the deadliest since the conflict began in February 2022.
On this, his first visit to Mongolia in five years, Putin participated in commemorations marking the 85th anniversary of a joint Soviet-Mongolian victory over Japanese forces in Manchuria. Thousands of soldiers from both sides perished in the months-long conflict in 1939.
During his visit, Putin and Mongolian officials signed agreements to boost energy cooperation, including a feasibility study for upgrading a power plant and an environmental study for a proposed hydroelectric plant. Putin also discussed plans to enhance rail connections between the two countries and invited President Khurelsukh to the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, later this year. Khurelsukh accepted the invitation, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.
The European Union voiced concerns that Mongolia might not act on the ICC warrant. European Commission spokeswoman Nabila Massrali noted that while Mongolia can pursue international relations based on its interests, it has legal obligations as an ICC member. Over 50 Russians abroad, including Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was recently released in a major prisoner swap, urged Mongolia to detain Putin. Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s Security Council deputy secretary, denounced the warrant as “illegal.”
Putin’s visit to Mongolia follows recent trips to China, North Korea, Vietnam, and Kazakhstan, reflecting his efforts to counteract international isolation due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.