Mongolia\u2019s failure to act on it was \u201ca heavy blow to the ICC and system of criminal law\u201d, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry says
\n Ulaanbaatar
\nRussian President Vladimir Putin received a red carpet welcome on Tuesday on a state visit to Mongolia, whose failure to arrest him under a warrant from the International Criminal Court was criticised by Ukraine as a blow against justice.
\nAs he stepped out of his limousine in the capital Ulaanbaatar, Putin was greeted by his Mongolian counterpart Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh in front of a row of ceremonial guardsmen on horseback wearing helmets with pointed tops.
\nThe Kremlin leader stooped to kiss a young girl who stepped forward to welcome him in Russian and present him with flowers.
\nAn International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued last year against Putin obliges the court\u2019s 124 member states, including Mongolia, to arrest the Russian president and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he sets foot on their territory.
\nMongolia\u2019s failure to act on it was \u201ca heavy blow to the International Criminal Court and the system of criminal law\u201d, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhiy Tykhyi said.
\n\u201cMongolia has allowed an accused criminal to evade justice, thereby sharing responsibility for the war crimes,\u201d he wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Ukraine, he said, would work with its allies to ensure Mongolia felt the consequences.
\nThe United States, which is not a member of the ICC and is keen to develop relations with Mongolia as an important source of rare-earth minerals needed in high-tech applications, was also critical of Ulaanbaatar.
\n\u201cWe don\u2019t believe any country should give Putin a platform to promote his war of aggression against Ukraine,\u201d State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told a regular briefing.
\n\u201cWe do expect Mongolia to adhere to its commitment and support for the principles of the U.N. Charter, including sovereignty and territorial integrity, and convey that those principles must be upheld around the world,\u201d he said.
\nMiller said Washington understood Mongolia\u2019s position sandwiched between two larger neighbors, which are China and Russia, but added; \u201cWe do think it\u2019s important that they continue to support the rule of law around the world.\u201d
\nWhile the United States is not an ICC member, it supported the court\u2019s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Putin.
\nThe ICC warrant accuses Putin of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. The Kremlin has rejected the accusation, saying it is politically motivated.
\nKremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week that Moscow had no worries about any action in connection with the warrant, as Russia had a \u201cgreat dialogue\u201d with Mongolia and all aspects of the visit had been discussed in advance.
\n\u201cRelations with Mongolia are among the priorities of our foreign policy in Asia. They have been brought to a high level of comprehensive strategic partnership,\u201d Putin told Khurelsukh.
\nThe Mongolian leader said he hoped the visit would boost bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
\nMongolia is on the planned route of a major pipeline that Russia wants to construct to carry 50 billion cubic metres of natural gas a year from its Yamal region to China.
\nThe project, Power of Siberia 2, is part of Russia\u2019s strategy to compensate for the loss of most of its gas sales in Europe since the start of the Ukraine war. It is the planned successor to an existing pipeline of the same name which already supplies Russian gas to China and is due to reach its planned capacity of 38 billion cubic metres per year in 2025.
\nThe new venture has long been bogged down over key issues such as the pricing of the gas. However, Putin said on the eve of his visit that preparatory work, including feasibility and engineering studies, were proceeding as scheduled.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Mongolia\u2019s failure to act on it was \u201ca heavy blow to the ICC and system of criminal law\u201d, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry says Ulaanbaatar Russian President Vladimir Putin received a red carpet welcome on Tuesday on a state visit to Mongolia, whose failure to arrest him under a warrant from the International Criminal Court was criticised […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":429190,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-429194","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n