Putin's Historic Visit to Mongolia Amidst ICC Controversy

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Mongolia, an ICC member, his first visit to such a country since an arrest warrant for war crimes in Ukraine. He will meet Mongolian leader Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, commemorating a World War II battle. Mongolia depends on Russia and China for fuel, electricity, and investment.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived Monday in Mongolia, a country that is a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC) which has issued an arrest warrant for him.

This official visit marks Putin's first trip to an ICC member nation since the warrant was issued 18 months ago on charges of war crimes in Ukraine. During his stay, he is set to meet with Mongolian leader Ukhnaa Khurelsukh on Tuesday.

Ukraine has urged Mongolia to detain Putin and hand him over to the ICC. A spokesperson for Putin stated last week that the Kremlin is not concerned about the visit. Despite ICC members being obligated to detain suspects, the court lacks enforcement mechanisms.

Mongolia, positioned between Russia and China, heavily relies on Russia for fuel and electricity and China for investment in its mining sector.

The ICC accuses Putin of responsibility for abducting children from Ukraine, where conflict has persisted for 2½ years. On Tuesday, Putin and Khurelsukh will attend a ceremony commemorating the 1939 victory of Soviet and Mongolian forces over the Japanese army in Manchuria. Although Putin faces international isolation over the Ukraine invasion, he visited North Korea and Vietnam last month and China twice in the past year.

Last year, he attended the BRICS summit in Johannesburg via video link after the South African government, another ICC member, lobbied against his physical presence.

(With inputs from agencies.)