Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Mongolia on Tuesday. The country has recognized the International Criminal Court and should have arrested the Kremlin leader. But that did not happen. Moscow will sell this as a victory over the West.
Russian President Vladimir Putin should have been handcuffed when he arrived in the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator yesterday. Instead, there were flowers from children and military decorations as he was received by Mongolian leader Uchnaagiin Chürelsüch.
Arrest warrant for war crimes in Ukraine
There is an arrest warrant for Putin from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes in Ukraine. And Mongolia signed the so-called Rome Statute in 2000 and ratified it in 2003. And therefore should arrest Putin as a contracting party. Why didn’t they?
The situation is certainly not pleasant for the country, but it borders Russia and China, has good relations with both countries and is economically dependent.
Mongolia will probably use legal quibbles as justification: “They will probably appeal to the fact that it is unclear whether this obligation to cooperate also applies to heads of state of countries that have not recognized the ICC, such as Russia,” international law expert Andreas Müller of the University of Basel told the “Krone”. Each member of the ICC voluntarily gives up the immunity of its own heads of state.
Probably no direct consequences for Mongolia
For the ICC itself, however, it is clear that this is no obstacle to an arrest. However, Mongolia will not have to fear any direct consequences for its violation of international law, apart from reputational damage, since the ICC has no executive power. “You join voluntarily. And you can also leave voluntarily. There is no ‘exclusion’ in that sense, and the ICC also aims to have more members, not fewer,” says Müller. This is typical of international law: “It is a law of cooperation.” So it depends on everyone’s cooperation.
Visits are purposeful
As unpleasant as the arrest warrant is for Russia, this visit to an ICC member state is calculated. The visit was carefully prepared and is intended to try to delegitimize and weaken the internationally recognized rules. “Russia is questioning the effectiveness and relevance of international criminal law,” says Müller. “I would not be surprised if this is not the last visit that Putin plans to visit a country that has ratified the Rome Statute. For example, in Latin America or Africa.”
And if they also refuse to arrest Putin, the International Criminal Court actually has a legitimacy problem.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
