Putin's Visit to Mongolia Amidst ICC Arrest Warrant

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Mongolia, a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC), despite the ICC issuing an arrest warrant for him over war crimes. The warrant accuses Putin of abducting Ukrainian children during the 2.5 years of fighting.

This visit comes as Mongolia is economically dependent on Russia and China. The leaders will attend a ceremony commemorating a victory over the Japanese army in 1939. Despite the arrest warrant, Putin has been recently visiting other countries such as North Korea and Vietnam.

Last year, he even joined a BRICS summit in South Africa, despite the government lobbying against his attendance. The European Commission has urged Mongolia, a state party to the ICC since 2002, to comply with the ICC request and arrest Putin during his visit.

However, the country has not indicated whether it will comply with the arrest warrants. The visit has drawn criticism from Amnesty International Mongolia, warning that it could undermine the work of the ICC and is an affront to the victims.

Human Rights Watch also argues that receiving Putin without arrest would undermine the principle that no one is above the law.