Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has called on the Mongolian government to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin during his upcoming visit, according to an Aug. 30 statement.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March 2023 for the forcible transfer of children from Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine.
Putin’s visit to Mongolia would mark his first trip to an ICC member country that has ratified the Rome Statut, which obligates signatories to arrest him if he enters their territory.
“The Ukrainian side hopes that the Mongolian government realizes that Vladimir Putin is a war criminal,” the ministry’s statement read.
“The abduction of Ukrainian children is just one of the many crimes for which Putin and the rest of the Russian military and political leadership must face justice.”
Putin is scheduled to visit Mongolia on Sept. 3 at the invitation of Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh. The leaders are set to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the Battles of Khalkhin Gol, where Soviet and Mongolian forces defeated Japanese troops.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Aug. 30 that the visit is being prepared “carefully,” adding that the Russian government has “no concerns” about the trip.
“We have a great dialogue with our friends in Mongolia,” Peskov told Russian state-controlled media outlet Sputnik.
Sergei Markov, a Kremlin-affiliated political consultant, told Bloomberg that Putin’s arrest is unlikely.
“Before any foreign trips, the entire spectrum of the negotiating format is agreed in advance, and the host nation gives 100% guarantees that neither Putin nor any member of the delegation will be detained,” Markov said.
Putin’s visit comes six months after Mongolia appointed its first judge to the ICC.
Last year, the Russian president skipped the BRICS summit in South Africa after the host country indicated it would have to comply with the ICC warrant.
Mongolia has not actively supported Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine but has also refrained from voting to condemn it at the United Nations.
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