Ukraine Comments on Mongolia's Failure to Arrest Putin

The Ukrainian authorities have criticized the Mongolian government regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit. Specifically, Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Georgi Tikhini, stated that Mongolia is aiding Putin in evading justice. This was reported by the Bild newspaper.

“Mongolia's failure to execute the International Criminal Court's (ICC) warrant for Putin's mandatory arrest is a severe blow to the ICC and the international criminal justice system. Mongolia allowed a criminal defendant to escape justice, thereby sharing responsibility for his war crimes. We will cooperate with partners to ensure that this has consequences for Ulaanbaatar,” the statement from Ukraine's Foreign Ministry reads.

Vladimir Putin arrived in Mongolia the previous night to participate in the celebrations marking the 85th anniversary of the victory of Soviet and Mongolian armed forces against Japan. This is his first trip in 2023 to a country that has signed the Rome Statute and accepts the jurisdiction of the ICC. In March 2023, the ICC issued a warrant for the arrest of Vladimir Putin.

However, instead of arresting Putin, he was welcomed in Mongolia with an honor guard.