Mongolia is under flame after the country welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant into the country for a visit on Monday. Under international law, Mongolia, a member of the ICC is supposed to act upon court warrants. The ICC's warrant, issued in March 2023, accuses Putin of war crimes related to the deportation and transfer of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia.
Mongolia will certainly be prosecuted by the international Criminal court for breaking its duty of cooperation. Instead, Putin was welcomed with a warm welcome. The capital's central Genghis Khan Square was decked out with huge Mongolian and Russian flags for his first visit to the neighbouring country in five years.
Just a day before Putin's arrival, there was a small protest where a handful of demonstrators held signs demanding:"Get war criminal Putin out of here"
Ukraine is calling for Mongolia to arrest Putin and hand him over to the ICC, but that is unlikely to happen.
Putin flaunting to the ICC
Many have said that this trip was Russia's act of defiance against the ICC. Experts noted that Putin wouldn't have gone over to Mongolia if he knew he would be caught. So it has led them to believe that Russia has purposely planned this trip to mock the ICC.
For Russia, the trip not only offered a distraction from Ukraine's incursion into the Kursk border region but also a way to help maintain Putin's image as a strong leader at home and abroad.
Hungary and Armenia, also ICC members, have also assured Russia that Putin would not be arrested on their soil, further eroding the court's effectiveness.
Mongolia is still dependent on Russia for energy
In short, the reason why Mongolia was willing to defy the ICC to welcome Putin was because the country still finds itself dependent on Russia for energy, making it hard for them to handcuff Putin on the International Criminal Court Warrant over war crimes in Ukraine.
As a country that is landlocked between Russia and China, Mongolia often had to often walk a diplomatic tightrope to avoid alienating either of its neighbors with whom it has extensive historic and economic ties.
Mongolia imports 95% of its petroleum products and over 20% of its electricity from its immediate neighbouring countries, and this supply is critical to ensure the proper functions of the country.
For this reason, it was always vital for Mongolia to maintain a policy neutral position in all of its diplomatic relations.
Mongolia ready for backlash for its actions
With this act of defiance, it is likely to Mongolia will likely face persecution over its inaction.
Heorhii Tykhii, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian foreign ministry, called Mongolia's failure to arrest Putin a heavy blow to ICC and the international criminal justice system.
Tykhii explained the further implications of Mongolia's actions, saying if the world order continues to weaken, the prospects for a tribunal for Russian war Criminals, reparations and accountability would diminish significantly, dashing Ukraine's hopes of a just peace.
He also added that Ukraine will be working with partners to ensure that Mongolia will be punished for its actions.
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