Vladimir Putin was received with great pomp in Mongolia on Tuesday, his first visit to a member country of the International Criminal Court (ICC) since the issuance of an arrest warrant against him.
Arriving Monday evening in the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator, the Russian president was greeted by the guard of honor, without being arrested as he got off the plane. He left Mongolia Tuesday evening for Vladivostok, in the Russian Far East, where he is to participate in a regional economic forum, the Kremlin announced Wednesday.
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His trip to Mongolia appears to be an act of defiance towards the ICC, war-torn Ukraine, and several Western countries and human rights organisations that had called for his arrest.
Vladimir Putin was received on Tuesday by his Mongolian counterpart Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh at a lavish ceremony held on the imposing Genghis Khan Square in Ulaanbaatar.
A brass band performed military tunes and the Russian and Mongolian national anthems in front of the two leaders, who stood next to Mongolian soldiers in traditional dress.
Alongside Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, Vladimir Putin then praised Mongolia’s “respectful attitude” towards their “common historical heritage” and assured that the two countries had “close positions” on “many current international issues.”
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- ParisMatch
