Ukraine criticizes Mongolia for failing to arrest Putin

(Reuters) – Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said on Monday that Mongolia's refusal to arrest Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, who is wanted on an international arrest warrant, was a serious blow to the international criminal justice system.

Putin arrived in Mongolia on Monday, where talks are expected to take place on a new gas pipeline between Russia and China.

An arrest warrant issued against Putin by the International Criminal Court last year obliges the court's 124 member states, including Mongolia, to arrest the Russian president and hand him over to The Hague for trial if he enters their territory.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhyi said Mongolia's refusal to arrest Putin was “a serious blow to the International Criminal Court and the criminal justice system.”

“Mongolia has allowed an accused criminal to evade justice and thus bears responsibility for war crimes,” he wrote on the messaging app Telegram. Ukraine will work with its allies to ensure that Mongolia faces the consequences, he said.

Ukraine last week called on Mongolia to arrest Putin during his visit.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow had no concerns that measures could be taken in connection with the arrest warrant. Russia was conducting a “great dialogue” with Mongolia and all aspects of the visit had been discussed in advance.

The ICC arrest warrant accuses Putin of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. The Kremlin denies the accusation, saying it is politically motivated.