EU reminds Mongolia of its obligation to arrest Putin under ICC warrant

The European Union has informed Mongolia of its position regarding the upcoming visit by Russian ruler and war criminal Vladimir Putin to the country and its obligation to arrest him in accordance with a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Nabila Massrali, spokesperson for the European Commission, noted that Mongolia has the right to develop its international ties "according to its own interests".

"However, there is an arrest warrant against Putin, issued by the ICC for unlawful deportations and transfer of thousands of Ukrainian children from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to Russia. Mongolia has been a state party to the Rome Statute of the ICC since 2002 with the legal obligations that it entails," she stressed.

Massrali added that the EU had raised its concerns and set out its position with regard to Putin’s visit to the Mongolian government via its delegation in Mongolia.

She declined to answer a question about what measures the EU could take if Mongolia does not arrest Putin.

Putin’s visit to Mongolia on 3 September will be his first visit to an ICC member-state since the court issued an arrest warrant against him in March 2023.

According to media reports, the Mongolian authorities have assured Putin that he will not be arrested.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged Mongolia to fulfil its obligations under the Rome Statute of the ICC and arrest Putin.