Mongolia cannot arrest visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin because it depends on imports of Russian energy products.
A spokesperson for the Mongolian government told Politico.
He says that Mongolia is energy dependent on the Russian Federation — the country imports 95% of its oil products and more than 20% of its electricity from Russia. It is allegedly "crucial" for the existence of Mongolia.
"Mongolia has always followed a policy of neutrality in all its diplomatic relations," the spokesman added.
In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin and the Commissioner for Childrenʼs Rights in the Russian Federation Maria Lvova-Belova. They are suspected of illegally deporting Ukrainian children from the occupied territories of Ukraine to Russia, which is a war crime. Putin and Lvova-Belova should be arrested as official suspects in countries that have ratified the Rome Statute. De jure, 123 countries are closed to them, including Mongolia, which ratified it in 2002.
However, during Putinʼs visit to Mongolia on September 2-3 — his first visit to an ICC member state after the issuance of a warrant for his arrest — he was not arrested.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine promised to work with partners to ensure that Mongolia "faces consequences" after not arresting Putin. Mongoliaʼs refusal to comply with the International Criminal Courtʼs mandatory warrant was called a "heavy blow" to the ICC and the international criminal justice system.
- After issuing the warrant, Putin traveled only to Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, China, the DPRK, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and Azerbaijan. These countries have not ratified the Rome Statute, so they are not obliged to comply with the ICCʼs order.
- Last year, Putin was supposed to go to the South African Republic for the BRICS summit. At that time, South Africa, which ratified the Rome Statute, considered options for not executing the warrant for Putinʼs arrest. The countryʼs president Cyril Ramaphosa said that Putinʼs arrest at the summit would mean a declaration of war against Russia. However, the government of South Africa did apply to the court for a warrant for Putinʼs arrest in case he arrives in the country. However, this happened after the Kremlin decided to send its Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to the summit instead of Putin. South Africa worked for a long time to persuade the head of the Russian Federation not to go, in particular, offered to hold the summit online. Everything, so as not to be faced with a dilemma — to arrest or not to arrest.