In a state visit to Mongolia on Tuesday, Russian premier Vladimir Putin received a lavish reception, including meeting his Mongolian equivalent, Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, in the capital Ulaanbaatar, with an impressive cavalry of ceremonial guards adorning pointed helmets. Ukraine expressed frustration at Mongolia for not enforcing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Putin, viewing it as a considerable setback for justice.
The warrant, which had been issued by the ICC last year, stipulates that if Putin ever ventures onto the territories of its 124 member countries, which include Mongolia, he should be detained and sent to The Hague for trial. Mongolia’s non-compliance with the warrant was described as a “significant hit to the International Criminal Court and the judicial system” by spokesperson of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Heorhiy Tykhyi.
Since Mongolia permitted an accused criminal to sidestep justice, Tykhyi claimed that it was also culpable for the alleged war crimes. He made this announcement via the Telegram messaging platform, adding that Ukraine was planning to collaborate with its allies to make Mongolia face the repercussions.
Putin has been accused by the ICC warrant of unlawfully deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. However, the Kremlin has dismissed this claim as a political move. Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, stated last week that they had no apprehensions concerning any possible actions related to the warrant, as there was a “profound dialogue” in place with Mongolia, and all anticipated aspects of the visit had been pre-discussed.
Emphasising the importance of relations with Mongolia in Russia’s Asian foreign policy, Putin assured Khurelsukh of their comprehensive strategic partnership. The Mongolian leader conveyed hopes that Putin’s visit would enhance trade and economic ties between the countries.
A major pipeline that Russia plans to build to transport 50 billion cubic metres of natural gas annually from its Yamal region to China is set to pass through Mongolia.
The venture, called Power of Siberia 2, is an aspect of Russia’s strategy devised to offset the significant decrease in its gas sales in Europe following Ukraine’s conflict. It is due to succeed a current pipeline that already delivers Russian gas to China, with an anticipated annual capacity of 38 billion cubic metres by 2025. The project has been delayed over unresolved critical matters such as the pricing of gas. Nevertheless, on the eve of his visit, Putin reported that preliminary work, inclusive of feasibility and engineering investigations, was progressing as planned. – Reuters.