Conflicts

Vladimir Putin met his Mongolian counterpart in the capital Ulaanbaatar on Tuesday. This is the Russian president's first official visit to a member country of the International Criminal Court (ICC) since the latter issued an arrest warrant for him.

Putin arrived in the Mongolian capital on Monday evening and was received by his counterpart on Tuesday in the famous Genghis Khan Square, during a sumptuous ceremony attended by both delegations.

The Russian number 1 arrived without problems in Mongolia, whereas he should have been arrested upon landing at the airport.

His trip is a challenge for the ICC, which in March 2023 issued an arrest warrant for him for illegally deporting children since his country’s forces invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Kiev has asked ICC member Mongolia to execute the warrant and accused the Asian country of “allowing the indicted criminal to escape justice” by failing to arrest him.

But a glance at a map makes it clear why Putin feels untouchable. Mongolia is wedged between Russia and China, and it’s hard to imagine the country’s government taking a step such as arresting one of the region’s most powerful men without risking harsh retaliation.

(MH with AmBar/Source: Agency/Photo: Nguyen Dung/Pixabay)