Putin visits Mongolia despite ICC arrest warrant

Russian President Vladimir Putin, on red carpet left, walks next to Mongolian Foreign Minister of Mongolia, Batmunkh Battsetseg upon his arrival at Ulaanbaatar's International airport Chinggis Khaan, late Monday, Sept. 2, 2024.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Tuesday with his Mongolian counterpart Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh in Ulaanbaatar, a Russian video pool showed, on his first visit to an International Criminal Court member since it issued a warrant for his arrest last year.

Khurelsukh greeted Putin in the capital's central Genghis Khan square, also known as Sukhbaatar Square, for a grand ceremony featuring top officials from both sides.

Putin was welcomed by an honour guard as he landed in Ulaanbaatar the night before to begin the high-profile trip, seen as a show of defiance against the court, Kiev, the West and rights groups that have all called for him to be detained.

The Russian leader is wanted by the Hague-based court for the alleged illegal deportation of Ukrainian children since his troops invaded the country in 2022.

Ukraine has reacted to the trip with fury, accusing Mongolia of "sharing responsibility" for Putin's "war crimes" after authorities did not detain him at the airport.

Kiev had urged Mongolia to execute the arrest warrant, while the ICC said last week all its members had an "obligation" to detain those sought by the court.

In practice, there is little that can be done if Ulaanbaatar does not comply.

A vibrant democracy situated between authoritarian giants Russia and China, Mongolia enjoys close cultural links to Moscow as well as a critical trading relationship with Beijing.

It was under Moscow's sway during the Soviet era.

Since the Soviet collapse in 1991, it has...