Mongolian Police Stops Protesters From Displaying Ukrainian Flag During Putin’s Visit

Mongolian police prevented protesters from displaying the Ukrainian flag during Vladimir Putin’s visit to the capital, Ulaanbaatar.

The visit on September 3 marked Putin’s first trip to a country that is a signatory to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) since the court issued an arrest warrant for him in March 2023.

During his visit, Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh accompanied Putin to the Government Palace, where they paid homage to the Genghis Khan statue before proceeding to private meetings. According to media reports, Mongolian authorities assured Putin that they would not arrest him.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized Mongolia’s decision to host Putin despite the ICC’s arrest warrant.

Spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi stated: “Mongolia’s refusal to comply with the ICC’s mandatory arrest warrant for Putin is a heavy blow to the International Criminal Court and the international criminal justice system.” He further added, “Mongolia allowed the indicted criminal to escape justice, thereby sharing responsibility for his war crimes. We will work with partners to ensure that this has consequences for Ulaanbaatar.”

Andrii Kostin, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General, also condemned Mongolia’s actions, arguing that by not arresting Putin, Mongolia has compromised its standing in the international community. “Today Putin humiliated Mongolia by cynically using it as a bargaining chip in his geopolitical game,” Kostin stated. “I would like to remind the representatives of this country that the ability to fulfill your commitments under international law is one of the main criteria of being a part of the civilized world. The world which values human life and freedom.”

Kostin also emphasized that “Providing security guarantees to a criminal undermines the very purpose of the global legal system and seriously violates the values of democratic countries. By refusing to arrest Putin, Mongolia has consciously jeopardized its international legal personality.”

On September 2, the European Union voiced concerns over the possibility that the ICC warrant for Putin might not be executed during his visit to Mongolia, and stated that it has communicated these concerns to Mongolian authorities.

“Mongolia, like all other countries, has the right to develop its international ties according to its own interests,” said European Commission spokeswoman Nabila Massrali. However, she emphasized, “Mongolia is a state party to the Rome Statute of the ICC since 2002, with the legal obligations that it entails.”

Earlier in June, The ICC issued arrest warrants for former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.