The European Union has “taken note” of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Mongolia and expressed regret that the government in Ulaanbaatar did not detain its guest.
Putin spent two days in Mongolia, engaging in bilateral talks and marking the 85th anniversary of the WWII victory over Imperial Japan at the Battle of Khalkhin Gol.
“President Putin is under an arrest warrant by the ICC for international crimes, specifically alleged crimes of unlawful deportation and unlawful transfer of children,” the EU said in a statement on Tuesday.
“The EU regrets that Mongolia, a State Party to the Rome Statute of the ICC, did not comply with its obligations under the statute to execute the arrest warrant,” the bloc added.
The ICC issued a warrant for Putin’s arrest in March 2023, despite having no jurisdiction over Russia. Moscow has rejected the court’s accusations as baseless.
The Russian president traveled to Mongolia at the invitation of his counterpart, Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, and met with top officials in Ulaanbaatar to discuss the two countries’ strategic partnership.
Both Ukraine and the ICC demanded Putin’s arrest from Mongolia, but the Kremlin said it had “no concerns,” as all issues had been worked out with Ulaanbaatar in advance.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who accompanied Putin to Mongolia, said it is natural for people with “Nazi-like deeds” to worry about two neighbors who fought side by side in WWII.
“I pity them if they are concerned about this,” Lavrov told journalist Pavel Zarubin on Tuesday.