[ASTANA=AP/NEWSIS] Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar on September 2, according to the Russian state-run TASS news agency.
According to reports, President Putin arrived at Ulaanbaatar Airport around 11 p.m. local time and was greeted by a guard of honor in traditional Mongolian attire. He also exchanged greetings with senior Mongolian officials.
President Putin is visiting Mongolia for a two-day itinerary. He is scheduled to hold talks with Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga on the 3rd, and then attend a ceremony commemorating the 85th anniversary of the joint victory of the Soviet and Mongolian armies over Japan at the Khalkhin Gol River.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, stated in a briefing prior to President Putin’s visit to Mongolia that the issue of recognizing the jurisdiction of Mongolia’s International Criminal Court (ICC) was not included in the agenda of this summit. Mongolia is a signatory to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, and is obligated to cooperate in the execution of ICC arrest warrants.
However, the ICC lacks enforcement mechanisms to compel compliance. A prominent case was in 2015 when Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who was subject to an ICC arrest warrant, was not apprehended when visiting South Africa, sparking outrage and condemnation from human rights activists and the main opposition party.
Last March, the ICC issued an arrest warrant against President Putin for alleged crimes involving the illegal transfer of Ukrainian children. This visit to an ICC member state with an obligation to execute the warrant is the first for President Putin.
Following Russia’s isolation after the invasion of Ukraine, President Putin has been seen strengthening ties with traditional allies such as China, North Korea, and Vietnam.