Russia’s Putin gets lavish welcome in Mongolia despite ICC warrant, sparking criticism from Kyiv
Despite an ICC warrant, Putin received a warm welcome in Ulaanbaatar, highlighting Mongolia’s delicate balancing act between Russia and the West
Russian President Vladimir Putin received a red-carpet welcome on Tuesday on a state visit to Mongolia, whose failure to arrest him under a warrant from the International Criminal Court was criticised by Ukraine as a blow against justice.
As he stepped out of his limousine in the capital Ulaanbaatar, Putin was greeted by his Mongolian counterpart Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh in front of a row of ceremonial guardsmen on horseback wearing helmets with pointed tops.
The Kremlin leader stooped to kiss a young girl who stepped forward to welcome him in Russian and present him with flowers.
An International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued last year against Putin obliges the court’s 124 member states, including Mongolia, to arrest the Russian president and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he sets foot on their territory.
Mongolia’s failure to act on it was “a heavy blow to the International Criminal Court and the system of criminal law”, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhiy Tykhyi said.
“Mongolia has allowed an accused criminal to evade justice, thereby sharing responsibility for the war crimes,” he wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Ukraine, he said, would work with its allies to ensure Mongolia felt the consequences.
