EU appeals to Mongolia on the eve of Russian dictator Putin's visit

The European Union expects Mongolia to fulfill its obligations under the current arrest warrant for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, who is scheduled to visit the country on September 3. The EU reminds that Mongolia is a state party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

This position was voiced at a briefing on September 2 by Nabila Massrali, a representative of the EU External Action Service. "Mongolia is a state party to the Rome Statute of the ICC. Given the legal obligations it entails, we expressed our concern about the visit (of Putin – Ed.) and clearly stated the position of the ICC through our delegation in Mongolia," she said.

According to the diplomat, "of course, the European Union supports" the ICC prosecutor's investigation in Ukraine and calls on all participating states "to cooperate fully."

Nabila Massrali said that the EU is aware of Putin's planned visit to Mongolia.

"Mongolia, like all other countries, has the right to develop its international relations in accordance with its interests. However, Putin is subject to an arrest warrant issued by the ICC for the illegal deportation and transfer of thousands of Ukrainian children from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to Russia," the EU representative said.

The international human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) also made a statement about Putin's intentions to visit Mongolia. They said that Ulaanbaatar should ban the dictator from entering the country or arrest him if he does.

Human rights activists recalled that the dictator has been wanted by the ICC since March 17, 2023, when an arrest warrant was issued for him and the Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova for war crimes related to the illegal deportation and illegal transfer of children from the occupied regions of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.

"Mongolia will violate its international obligations as a member of the ICC if it allows Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit the country without arresting him," said Maria Elena Vignoli, HRW's senior international justice adviser.

As OBOZ.UA reported, earlier the Kremlin said that Putin would go to Mongolia to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the victory of Soviet and Mongolian troops over the Japanese army near the Khalkhin Gol River. He must be arrested there, as Mongolia ratified the Rome Statute of the ICC in 2002.

However, according to Bloomberg, Putin's visit to Mongolia will take place without the threat of arrest, as Ulaanbaatar has assured Moscow that it will not detain the Kremlin leader.

Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, also expressed doubts about the likelihood of Putin's arrest in Mongolia. He warned that this threatens to completely nullify the ICC's reputation, and Putin is doing this deliberately.

Recently, Mexico, which is a party to the Rome Statute, invited Putin to the inauguration of its new president, Claudia Sheinbaum, on October 1. Ukraine and the EU have called on Mexico to arrest the dictator if he arrives.

Earlier, Swiss President Viola Amherd said that Putin would not be arrested in her country if he came to the next Peace Summit and that they were ready to make an exception for the sake of negotiations on the war in Ukraine.

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