Putin in Mongolia: Prosecutor General's Office on refusal to arrest dictator
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's arrival in Mongolia (Getty Images)
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin arrived in Mongolia yesterday, September 2. The country was expected to arrest him under the International Criminal Court's (ICC) warrant, a jurisdiction that Ulaanbaatar recognizes. However, Mongolia refused to do so, putting its international standing at risk, according to Ukraine's Prosecutor General, Andrii Kostin.
"Today, Putin humiliated Mongolia, cynically using it as a pawn in his geopolitical game," Kostin said.
In his statement, Ukraine's Prosecutor General reminded Mongolian authorities that the ability to uphold international law commitments is one of the main criteria for a state’s belonging to the civilized world.
Kostin added that providing security guarantees to an international criminal undermines the essence of the global legal system and seriously violates the values of democratic countries.
"By refusing to arrest Putin, Mongolia has deliberately jeopardized its international subjectivity," he said.
Kostin reminded that Ukraine knows the price of independence well and will continue active cooperation with international partners to ensure the fair punishment of all war criminals. This is necessary to restore justice for all those who suffered from Russian aggression.
"The norms of international law were created precisely so that peoples around the world do not pay with blood for their freedom, as Ukrainians are now doing," he stressed.
Putin's visit to Mongolia
Last week, the Kremlin announced the Russian dictator's visit to Mongolia. It is known that he was invited by the country's president, Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh. During his visit, Putin is expected to participate in various events dedicated to the "victory of Soviet and Mongolian forces over the Japanese."
Mongolia has ratified the Rome Statute, which means that the country fully recognizes the jurisdiction of the ICC, which has issued an official arrest warrant for the Russian dictator. However, Bloomberg reported that Mongolian authorities assured Putin that the warrant would not be executed. This is why Putin dared to visit the country on September 2.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has already reacted to Mongolia's decision. Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said that the refusal to arrest Putin is a serious blow to the ICC and the international criminal justice system as a whole. Therefore, Ukraine seeks to ensure that Mongolia faces consequences for this.
Earlier, we reported on the potential consequences Mongolia might face for refusing to arrest Putin. Politician, diplomat, and historian Roman Bezsmertnyi said that the country’s disregard for the ICC's demands will impact the international criminal justice system.
