Mongolia 'under obligation' to arrest Putin: ICC; Kremlin says 'no worries'

Mongolia is under obligation to detain Russian PresidentVladimir Putin if he enters the country next week, the International Criminal Court (ICC) said. Putin’s visit, expected on Tuesday, will mark his first trip to a nation that is a member of the ICC since the court issued an arrest warrant for him in March 2023.

The ICC accuses Putin of war crimes, specifically the illegal deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia since the beginningof the war.

While Ukrainian officials have also urged Mongolia to arrest Putin upon his arrival, the Kremlin has dismissed concerns about the Russian president'svisit.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow, "We have an excellent rapport with our partners from Mongolia. Of course, all aspects of the President’s visit have been carefully prepared."

Why is Mongolia obliged to arrest Putin and what will happen if it doesn't?

Mongolia joined the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in December 2000. As part of this agreement, the 124 countries that are members of the ICC are required to enforce any arrest warrant issued by the court if the individual in question, such as Putin, enters their territory.

However, the ICC lacks its own police force and depends on the willingness of its member states to enforce such warrants. If a member state fails to comply, the court is obliged to inform the Assembly of States Parties, the ICC's governing body, which convenes annually.

'Vladimir Putin is a war criminal': Ukraine

On Friday, Ukraine called on Mongolia to act on the ICC's arrest warrant when Putin visits. "The Ukrainian side hopes that the government of Mongolia is aware of the fact that Vladimir Putin is a war criminal," Kyiv's foreign ministry stated.

"We call on the Mongolian authorities to execute the binding international arrest warrant and transfer Putin to the International Criminal Court in The Hague," it added.

(With inputs from agencies)