September 2, 2024
ULAANBAATAR – Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Mongolia next week, the Kremlin announced on Thursday. He will arrive on September 3. This is his first trip to a country that is legally obligated to arrest and hand him over to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Last March, the ICC issued a warrant for Putin’s arrest over accusations that Moscow unlawfully deported Ukrainian children amid its ongoing invasion, now in its third year.
According to the Kremlin, Putin will visit Mongolia at the invitation of its president to commemorate the 1939 Soviet-Mongolian victory over Japan in the Battle of Khalkhin Gol. The heads of state will discuss prospects for further development of the Russian-Mongolian comprehensive strategic partnership.
Mongolia, a longtime ally of Russia, has maintained a neutral stance on the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, making it unlikely that Ulaanbaatar would detain Putin.