Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Mongolia next week, the Kremlin announced on Thursday, his first trip to a country legally obliged to arrest him and hand him over to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In March last year, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of illegally deporting Ukrainian children during Moscow's three-year-old invasion. Mongolia is a signatory to the Rome Statute, the treaty that governs the International Criminal Court, and is thus technically obliged to comply with the court's demands.
According to the Kremlin, Putin will visit Mongolia at the invitation of the president to commemorate the Soviet-Mongolian victory over Japan in the Battle of Khalkhin Gol in 1939.
“The heads of state will discuss the prospects for further development of the Russian-Mongolian comprehensive strategic partnership,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
Mongolia, a long-time ally of Russia, is neutral about an invasion of Ukraine in 2022, so Ulan Bator is unlikely to arrest Putin.
A similar situation occurred last year when South Africa, another signatory to the Rome Statute, requested an exemption to allow the Russian president to attend a BRICS summit. Putin ultimately decided to stay away from the event.
Earlier this week, Russia and Mongolia conducted joint military exercises called Selenga-2024.
