Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited Mongolia for a summit meeting with the country’s leader, despite an international warrant for his arrest over alleged war crimes.
The International Criminal Court issued the arrest warrant on suspicion of Putin’s war crimes with regard to the invasion of Ukraine. Mongolia is an ICC member country, which is obliged to arrest the Russian leader upon entry.
The Mongolian government did not detain Putin, and welcomed him with a ceremony before the summit meeting.
Putin met Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh on Tuesday, after arriving in the country’s capital Ulaanbaatr on the previous night.
Putin was visiting an ICC member country for the first time since the arrest warrant was issued in March 2023.
The ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan expressed expectations that Mongolia would take appropriate actions as an ICC member country in an interview with NHK on Monday.
In a statement last week, the Ukrainian foreign ministry requested Mongolia to execute the arrest warrant.
Mongolia and Russia share a close relationship historically. Mongolia imports more than 90 percent of its oil and petroleum products from Russia, as well as electricity.
It apparently decided against arresting Putin out of consideration for the bilateral ties.