Will Putin be Arrested in Mongolia?

The Kremlin has downplayed concerns about the possibility of Mongolia arresting President Vladimir Putin during his visit to the country on September 3. This apprehension arises from Mongolia's membership in the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued an arrest warrant for Putin related to the alleged transfer of children from Russian-occupied areas in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov assured that there are no worries about the visit, highlighting the strong dialogue between Russia and Mongolia. When questioned about whether Moscow had addressed the arrest warrant with Ulaanbaatar before Putin's trip, Peskov responded that all aspects of the visit were thoroughly prepared.

Mongolia ratified the Rome Statute of the ICC in December 2000, which obliges member states to act on ICC arrest warrants. However, Moscow has dismissed the warrant, and despite Putin's significantly reduced foreign travel since the start of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, he has not yet visited any ICC member states.