Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh

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.

Ukraine has expressed strong criticism toward Mongolia for failing to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit. Putin, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) under an arrest warrant issued last year, arrived in Mongolia for discussions expected to focus primarily on a new gas pipeline between Russia and China.

Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar held talks with his counterparts during the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Kazakhstan's capital of Astana.

Bayraktar traveled to the Kazakh capital as part of the Turkish delegation, headed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.