Mongolia cannot arrest visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin because it is dependent on imports of Russian energy products.
A spokesman for the Mongolian government told Politico, Babel reports.
He said that Mongolia is energy dependent on Russia – 95% of its oil products and more than 20% of its electricity are imported from Russia. This is allegedly “crucial” for Mongolia’s existence.
Mongolia has always maintained a policy of neutrality in all its diplomatic relations, – the spokesman added.
In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin and Russian Children’s Ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova. They are suspected of illegally deporting Ukrainian children from the occupied territories of Ukraine to Russia, which is a war crime. As official suspects, Putin and Lvova-Belova should be arrested in countries that have ratified the Rome Statute. De jure, 123 countries are closed to them, including Mongolia, which ratified it in 2002.
However, during Putin’s visit to Mongolia on September 2-3, his first visit to an ICC member state since the arrest warrant was issued, he was not arrested.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry promised to work with partners to ensure that Mongolia “has consequences” after failing to arrest Putin. Mongolia’s refusal to comply with the International Criminal Court’s binding warrant was called a “heavy blow” to the ICC and the international criminal justice system.
