Main image: Ukraine's Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin testifies before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs during a hearing titled "Exposing Putin's Crimes: Evidence of Russian War Crimes and Other Atrocities in Ukraine," on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on April 19, 2023.Stefani Reynolds—AFP/Getty Images
By refusing to arrest Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Mongolia has jeopardized its international status.
This statement was made by Ukraine's Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin in response to Mongolia's refusal to execute the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin.
“Today, Putin has humiliated Mongolia, cynically using it as a pawn in his geopolitical game. I would like to remind the officials of this country that the ability to adhere to international legal obligations is one of the core criteria of a state’s belonging to the civilized world. A world that values human life and freedom. Granting security guarantees to a criminal undermines the very essence of the global legal system and seriously violates the values of democratic countries. By refusing to arrest Putin, Mongolia has deliberately undermined its international status,” said the Prosecutor General.
He noted that “international legal norms are designed so that peoples around the world do not pay with their blood for their freedom, as Ukrainians are currently doing.”
The Prosecutor General promised to continue cooperation with international partners to ensure accountability for war criminals and restore justice for all those affected by Russian aggression.
As reported, on Monday, September 2, Putin arrived in Mongolia for an official visit.
This is Putin's first visit to a country that has ratified the Rome Statute and is obligated to arrest the Russian leader under the warrant issued by the ICC in 2023.
In March 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin on charges of the illegal deportation of children from Ukraine and the unlawful transfer of Ukrainians to Russia.
