Mongolia is a member of the International Criminal Court and should formally arrest Vladimir Putin, who was placed on the international wanted list for smuggling children from Ukraine to Russia.
The President of the aggressor country, Russia, Vladimir Putin, arrived on an official visit to Mongolia. This country is a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and should formally arrest Putin, who was placed on the international wanted list for smuggling children from Ukraine to Russia. This is Putin’s first visit to a country that has ratified the Rome Statute since the arrest warrant was issued.
Demonstrative act of the Kremlin
Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said the Kremlin was not concerned about the trip to Mongolia.
When asked if there were negotiations with the Mongolian authorities regarding the warrant issued by the international court, Peskov replied: “Of course, all aspects of the visit were carefully prepared.”
Putin arrived in Mongolia to participate in ceremonial events dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the joint victory of Soviet and Mongolian troops against the Japanese armed forces on the Khalkhin Gol River.
Mongolia signed the Rome Statute in 2000 and ratified it in 2002. Formally, ICC member countries are obligated to execute the warrant and detain Putin. At the same time, Mongolia is landlocked and borders only Russia and China, which will complicate the process of delivering Putin to The Hague in the hypothetical case of his arrest and extradition.
Last year, Putin skipped the G20 summit in the Indian capital, avoiding possible political convictions and any risk of arrest on an ICC warrant.
Reaction of Ukraine and the West
Mongolia’s refusal to comply with the ICC’s mandatory arrest warrant for Putin “is a severe blow to the International Criminal Court and the international criminal law system,” Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said.
“Mongolia has allowed an accused criminal to escape justice, thus we are complicit in his war crimes. We will work with partners to ensure that this has consequences for Ulaanbaatar,” added Foreign Ministry spokesperson Georgy Tikhy.
The International Criminal Court noted that Mongolia, as a state party to the Rome Statute of the ICC, was obligated to arrest Putin. ICC spokesman Fadi El-Abdallah noted that the International Criminal Court relies on state parties, particularly Mongolia, to “abide by its decisions” and “has an obligation to cooperate” with the court. The latter specifically concerns the execution of arrest warrants, one of which was issued against the owner of the Kremlin.
The European Union also conveyed to Mongolia its position regarding Putin’s visit.
European Commission spokeswoman Nabila Massrali said Mongolia has the right to develop relations with other countries “in accordance with its own interests.”
“However, there is an arrest warrant for Putin issued by the ICC for the illegal deportation and transfer of thousands of Ukrainian children from the temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia has become a state party to the Rome Statute of the ICC since 2002 all the legal obligations that flow from it,” he emphasized the Press Secretary of the European Commission.
Massrali added that the European Union conveyed its concerns and position regarding Putin’s visit to Mongolian authorities through its representative office in that country.
The spokesperson of the European Commission, however, refused to answer the question of what measures the EU might take if Mongolia does not arrest Putin.
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.