September 3 () –
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday highlighted the good state of political and economic relations with neighboring Mongolia, as part of a trip that represents a clear challenge to the International Criminal Court (ICC), since the Mongolian authorities should theoretically execute the arrest warrant issued in March 2023 against the Russian president for war crimes in Ukraine.
“Relations between the Russian Federation and Mongolia are developing in all areas,” Putin said during a meeting with his Mongolian counterpart, Ukhnagin Khurelsukh, who has set as a priority the completion of a “strategic” partnership between the two countries.
As a political gesture, Putin has invited his ally to attend the next meeting of BRICS leaders in Kazan, scheduled for December, as well as the Victory Day celebrations in 2025. Among the economic agreements signed is one to guarantee the supply of petroleum products, Russian official agencies report.
This is Putin’s first visit to Mongolia since 2019, but it is particularly significant because the Russian president has not visited an ICC member state since the arrest warrant came into force. Under the Rome Statute, Mongolian authorities are obliged to comply with the warrant.
Russian Security Council Vice-President Dmitry Medvedev welcomed the decision of the Mongolian government, which “has ignored the ICC and European politicians” who have called in recent days for the order to be carried out. “If I were a judge or a prosecutor of that supposed court, I would be worried that some fool could carry out that illegal order,” he posted on his Telegram account.
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