Ukraine Urges Mongolia to Arrest Putin before Upcoming Visit
Ukraine Urges Mongolia to Arrest Putin before Upcoming Visit
Ukraine urges Mongolia to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of an expected visit next week, which would be his first to a state which is a member of the ICC since it issued an arrest warrant.
The ICC has accused Mr. Putin of war crimes for ignoring the abductions of thousands of children from Ukraine to Russia since the beginning of the conflict.
An ICC representative informed the Diplomat news that officials from Mongolia “are required” to comply with ICC regulations. However, they emphasized that this does not automatically mean an arrest must occur.
The Kremlin stated it has no “worries” ahead of the trip scheduled for next Tuesday.
As Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “We enjoy good relations with our Mongolian partners.”
He added, “Of course, we have arranged every minute detail of the president’s visit.”
Activists and political leaders would condemn Mongolia for failing obligations, but the International Criminal Court cannot enforce compliance.
Furthermore, this would not be the first instance of a member state disregarding the court’s regulations. In 2015, South Africa chose not to arrest former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir despite an existing arrest warrant.
Last year, South Africa adopted an alternative strategy by hosting a BRICS summit, typically attended by Vladimir Putin.
To avoid a similar predicament, South Africa successfully convinced him to remain in Russia and participate through a video link.
In contrast, Mongolia lacks the same influence over the Kremlin, which expressed that it had “no concerns” regarding the visit.
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Dr. Fadi el-Abdullah, a representative of the International Criminal Court (ICC), informed the diplomat news on Friday that the States Parties to the court, including Mongolia, “are required to cooperate in accordance with Chapter IX of the Rome Statute,” which is the foundational treaty establishing the court.
Dr. el-Abdullah warned that a lack of cooperation could lead ICC judges to notify the Assembly of States Parties. It is then the responsibility of the Assembly to implement any measures it considers suitable.
The court said last year the President of Russia is responsible for the commission of war crimes- “for the unlawful deportation of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation”.An arrest warrant was issued for Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, for the same crimes.
The statement noted the crimes occurred in Ukraine from February 24, 2022, during Russia’s full-scale invasion, until March 7, 2023.
Russia has already dismissed the charges and described the warrants as “outrageous.”
The ICC cannot arrest suspects itself and can only exercise jurisdiction over its member states.
The Ukraine foreign ministry hopes that the Vladimir Putin will be recognized as a war criminal by Mongolia and called on Mongolian authorities to detain the Russian leader and extradite him to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands.
Diplomat news has approached the Mongolian embassy in London for comment.
Last year, Putin cancelled his South Africa summit trip due to an ICC arrest warrant issued against him.
As an ICC member, South Africa must arrest fugitives, but President Ramaphosa cautioned Russia would view this as war.
Mr. Ramaphosa said the decision for the Russian leader to not attend was “mutual”.
