By Cheta Enyoghasi
Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, has arrived in Mongolia. This is his first visit to a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC) since the court issued an arrest warrant for him last year.
He was greeted by Mongolia’s leader during a spectacular ceremony in Ulaanbaatar, where he is wanted for allegedly illegally deporting Ukrainian children. The Kremlin has not voiced worry that Putin will be jailed during his visit.
Genghis Khan Square in the capital was crowded with soldiers on horseback as a live band performed martial anthems.
At the square, a small group of demonstrators assembled and held a sign that said, “Get War Criminal Putin out of here.” The Monument for the Politically Repressed in Ulaanbaatar, which honors people who perished under Mongolia’s long-standing communist government supported by the Soviet Union, is set to host another protest.
Upon his arrival, security personnel kept other demonstrators from approaching the Russian president.
Ukraine had pleaded with Mongolia government that Putin should be detained and sent before the Hague International Criminal Court. Putin was accused by the court last year of war crimes, with a particular emphasis on the forcible deportation of minors from Ukraine to Russia.
If an arrest warrant is issued, ICC members are expected to hold suspects, but there is no enforcement mechanism in place. Mongolia has not officially replied to the requests from the ICC or Ukraine.
