Putin was greeted by a guard of honor as he landed in the capital overnight before embarking on a high-profile trip seen as a show of defiance against the ICC, Kyiv, the West and human rights groups who have called for his detention.
After that, he met with Mongolian President U. Khurelsukh in Ulaanbaatar’s impressive Genghis Khan Square, also known as Suchbatar Square.
An orchestra played military tunes and Russian and Mongolian anthems as the two leaders stood in the square next to Mongolian soldiers in traditional clothing, some of whom were mounted.
The Hague-based ICC has issued a manhunt for Russia’s leader for allegedly illegally deporting Ukrainian children since 2022, when his army invaded the neighboring country.
Ukraine reacted angrily to the trip, saying Mongolia bears part of the responsibility for Putin’s “war crimes” after authorities failed to arrest him at the airport.
Kiev has urged Mongolia to comply with the arrest warrant, and the ICC said last week that all its members “have an obligation” to detain those wanted by the court. However, in practice, little can be done if Ulaanbaatar does not comply with this requirement.
Mongolia, a democratic state sandwiched between authoritarian giants Russia and China, maintains close cultural ties with Moscow and crucial trade relations with Beijing.
During the Soviet era, it was under the influence of Moscow. Since 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed, it has been trying to maintain friendly relations with both the Kremlin and Beijing.
The country did not condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine and abstained from voting on it at the United Nations.
Last week, the Kremlin stated that it was not afraid that V. Putin would be arrested during the visit.
“Get Putin Out of Here”
Genghis Khan Square was decorated with giant Mongolian and Russian flags on Tuesday as Putin visited the country for the first time in five years.
A small protest was held here a day earlier, with a handful of demonstrators holding signs demanding “Get war criminal Putin out of here.”
A protest planned for next Tuesday was prevented from approaching the Russian leader by tight security.
Instead, protesters gathered about a block away from the Monument to the Politically Repressed, which honors those who suffered under Mongolia’s decades of Soviet-backed communist rule.
V. Putin’s visit was organized to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the decisive victory of Mongolian and Soviet forces against Imperial Japan.
In a pre-trip interview with the Mongolian newspaper Unuudur, Putin noted several “promising economic and industrial projects” between the two countries.
Among them is the construction of the Trans-Mongolian gas pipeline connecting China and Russia, he said.
The Russian president also said he was “interested in continuing real work” to hold a tripartite summit between him, Mongolia and China.
Fugitive from Justice
The Mongolian government has not commented on calls for Putin’s arrest.
However, the president’s spokesman on Sunday denied reports on social media that the ICC had sent a letter asking for the warrant to be executed when he visits.
Russia does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC.
Amnesty International warned on Monday that Mongolia’s failure to arrest Putin could further undermine the legitimacy of the ICC and embolden the former KGB spy who has been in power for nearly a quarter of a century.
“President Putin is a fugitive from justice,” Altantuya Batdorj, Amnesty International’s executive director in Mongolia, said in a statement. “Any trip to an ICC member state that does not result in an arrest will encourage President Putin’s current course of action and must be seen as part of a strategic effort to undermine the ICC.”
2024-09-03 17:23:30