No arrest: Putin visits Mongolia
Despite the warrant for his arrest put out by the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Russian President Vladimir Putin has travelled to Mongolia. President Uchnaagiin Chürelsüch received Putin with a guard of honour in Ulaanbaatar on Tuesday. As a state that recognises the court’s authority, the onus was on Mongolia to arrest the Russian autocrat. Europe’s press evaluates the situation.
A blow to the International Criminal Court
Putin wants to show that he can ignore not only international law but also international justice, journalist Vitaly Portnykov writes in Radio Svoboda:
“What will happen if Putin visits a country that has signed the Rome Statute and returns home safely? That would set a dangerous precedent, especially for the countries of the Global South: Putin travelled to Mongolia, nobody arrested him there and everything went well. Perhaps we should invite him too? The authority of the International Criminal Court will be significantly weakened as a result. That is exactly what Putin is trying to achieve with this visit to Mongolia.”
Leader’s image could be tarnished
Putin underestimates the democratic forces in Mongolia, writes Russian sociologist Igor Eidman in a Telegram post republished by Obozrevatel:
“Unfortunately Putin is unlikely to be arrested in Mongolia. But embarrassing incidents for him (such as the issuing of an arrest warrant by a Mongolian court, actions taken by the Ministry of Justice in this direction or similar demands by the public) cannot be ruled out. Even such an outcome of the visit would be a real humiliation and a blow to Putin’s reputation among the Russian leadership. If the dictator is even humiliated in always ‘friendly’ Mongolia, it would prove that he can no longer represent Russia on the international stage.”
