Mongolia, a country with a population of mere 3.4 million, and a GDP of just 20 billion US dollar, has humiliated Washington DC, European Union and Kyiv in style.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was due to arrive in the East Asian nation on Tuesday. Mongolia happens to be a member nation of International Criminal Court (ICC). Now, the ICC had issued an arrest warrant against Putin in 2023 for allegedly deporting Ukrainian children when the invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.
As and when Putin’s visit to Mongolia was announced, the country came under intense pressure from the West to detain Putin the moment he walks out of his plane.
Mongolia remained silent and gave a huge digitus medius to the West early Tuesday.
The West was hoping for the arrest. What Putin got was a rousing welcome, a red carpet and an honour guard.
As Putin arrived in the Mongolian city, some pro-Ukraine protestors emerged during the ceremony. Local police were quick to remove them and anti-Putin banners were dispersed.
For the two nations, it was a highly-successful summit. Putin and Mongolian officials signed agreements to enhance energy cooperation. Putin also outlined plans to improve rail connections between the two countries and invited President Khurelsukh to the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, later this year. Khurelsukh accepted the invitation as well.
The glaring bonhomie between Putin and Khurelsukh did enough to set ICC’s posterior on fire.
A spokesperson for the ICC, Fadi el-Abdallah, warned that “ICC judges may make a finding to that effect and inform the Assembly of States Parties of it. It is then for the Assembly to take any measure it deems appropriate.”
Western mouthpiece Politico reported that ICC member Mongolia could now face prosecution.
The International Bar Association, or IBA, an organisation representing the global legal profession, went on to warn that Mongolia could face “consequences in the event of non-cooperation.”
Ukraine also cried its eyes out. Ukraine Foreign Ministry said Monday on Telegram that “Mongolia has allowed an accused criminal to evade justice, thereby sharing responsibility for the war crimes.”
But according to legal expert Tamás Hoffmann, “there are no serious consequences, such as sanctions, for the offending country.”
For example, in 2015, South Africa failed to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who was wanted for crimes against humanity including genocide.
The ICC two years later found the country had failed to comply with its obligations. However, it failed to refer South Africa to the U.N, Security Council for censure.
ICC is a toothless dog, you see!
Russia knew it already. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters last Friday that the Kremlin had “no worries” about the trip.
Democracy Fellow with the Center for European Policy Analysis, Elena Davlikanova, even claims that Mongolia is not the only ICC nation that has assured Putin of immunity from an arrest.
Hungary and Armenia, also ICC members, have assured the president that he would not be arrested on their soil, further eroding the court’s effectiveness.
By embracing Putin with open arms, Mongolia firmly reminded imperialist states that like all other countries, has the right to develop its international ties according to its own interests. It’s not a Japan, Australia or UK which would act as America’s vassal state but a sovereign, respected Democratic country which very well knows how to serve its own interests.