“Mongolia lacks independence”: Zelenskyy on country’s failure to arrest Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told The Times of India that while the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin has limitations, it has effectively restricted the Russian leader’s international movements.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy

The President of Ukraine said that the ICC alone cannot fully resolve the situation or completely influence Vladimir Putin and his supporters.

“However, when combined – all leaders, the ICC, international law, the UN, and the G20 can certainly work together to end this war. We already see the ICC’s impact, as Putin can no longer freely travel to most countries,” Zelenskyy noted.

He also pointed out that most leaders who recognise the Rome Statute of the ICC refrain from visiting Russia. Speaking about Mongolia, he stated that its behaviour indicates a lack of independent decision-making.

To provide background, In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian ruler Vladimir Putin, finding him responsible for illegally deporting thousands of children from Ukraine. The issuance of the warrant means that member states should arrest Putin if he travels to their territories.

On October 24, the ICC ruled that Mongolia violated its obligations as a state party to the Rome Statute by failing to arrest Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin under the ICC’s warrant. 

Earlier, Zelenskyy had expressed his conviction that Mongolia demonstrated a disregard for international law by not arresting Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Earlier media reports indicated that the Mongolian authorities allegedly assured Putin that he would not be arrested, a stance attributed to the country’s energy dependence on Russia.

On 12 September, Ukraine issued a diplomatic protest to Mongolia over its refusal to comply with the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin.