Mongolia Defies ICC Order To Arrest Vladimir Putin

The New York Times reports:

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia was warmly received by the leader of Mongolia on Tuesday in his first state visit to a member nation of the International Criminal Court since it issued a warrant for his arrest last year.

Instead of arresting Mr. Putin, as the I.C.C., Ukraine, and human rights groups have urged, Mongolia, which is highly dependent on Russia for its energy needs, gave the Russian leader a red-carpet welcome in the capital.

Russia, like the United States, does not recognize the jurisdiction of the court, which is based in The Hague in the Netherlands. However, Mongolia is one of 124 signatories of the Rome statute, which governs membership in the international court.

Read the full article. Ukraine’s spox responds below.

The Mongolian government’s failure to carry out the binding ICC arrest warrant for Putin is a heavy blow to the International Criminal Court and the international criminal justice system.

— Heorhii Tykhyi (@SpoxUkraineMFA) September 2, 2024

Mongolia allowed the indicted criminal to escape justice, thereby sharing responsibility for his war crimes. We will work with partners to ensure that this has consequences for Ulaanbaatar.

— Heorhii Tykhyi (@SpoxUkraineMFA) September 2, 2024