Putin visits Mongolia, in defiance of arrest order from international court

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived Monday in Mongolia, a member of the international court that has issued an arrest warrant against him.

It’s Putin’s first visit to a member country of the International Criminal Court (ICC) since it issued an arrest warrant in March 2023.

Ukraine is calling on Mongolia to arrest Putin and hand him over to ICC. Last week, a spokesperson for the Russian President said the Kremlin was not worried about the visit.

While ICC member countries are bound to detain suspects if there is an arrest warrant out against them, there is no enforcement mechanism, The Associated Press reported.

ICC issued the arrest warrant more than a year ago over allegations of war crimes and the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.

It was largely viewed as a way for the international community to hold Putin responsible for the Russia-Ukraine war, which began in Feb. 2022.

Putin is expected to meet with Mongolian leader Ukhnaa Khurelsukh Tuesday and attend a ceremony marking the 1939 victory of Soviet and Mongolian troops over the Japanese army.

Mongolia is heavily dependent on both Russia and China for resources, The AP reported.

In June, Putin visited North Korea, where he thanked leader Kim Jong Un for his nation’s support in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and vowed to fight against U.S.-led sanctions through a new partnership.

He also visited Vietnam and China since the start of the European war.

Earlier Monday, Russia launched an overnight barrage of drones and missiles into Ukraine, even as Kyiv continues its offensive into Russia’s Kursk region.

Putin said Monday the Kursk mission won’t prevent his forces from continuing in eastern Ukraine, after pulling more than 30,000 troops elsewhere to defend the area. He predicted the mission will fail and Ukraine will want to “move to peace talks.”

The Associated Press contributed.