dpa
Berlin
Human Rights Watch has called on Mongolia to either deny entry to Russian President Vladimir Putin or arrest him, according to a statement by Maria Elena Vignoli from the non-governmental organization’s global justice unit on Monday.
Putin is travelling to the country on Tuesday at the invitation of Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh to strengthen cooperation between the two nations, according to a Kremlin statement, despite an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court alleging war crimes in Ukraine.
Mongolia recognizes the International Criminal Court and would be obliged to arrest Putin during his stay in Ulaanbaatar. However, Moscow is unconcerned, seeing no danger for Putin due to the friendly relations between the two countries, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated.
It is Putin’s first trip since the start of his war on Ukraine to a country that is a member of the court in The Hague.
Mongolia is striving to maintain balanced relationships with its powerful neighbours China and Russia as well as with the West.
Since Mongolia is also dependent on Russia, it is considered unlikely that the country would jeopardize its relations by arresting Putin.
Putin stopped off in the Siberian republic of Tuva on his way to Mongolia to give a lesson in a school subject introduced after the start of the war: “Conversations about the important things.” The lessons, laden with propaganda, are intended to familiarize children with the Kremlin’s political agenda.
Putin repeated the claim that the war he ordered against Ukraine was in defence of his own country. “We are protecting both the people living in the Donbass and the future of Russia, because we cannot afford to have hostile structures created under our noses that are harbouring aggressive plans against our country,” he said.
