Will next week see Putin's arrest? Examined is the Russian President's visit to Mongolia

 Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit Mongolia next week, a country that is a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC has issued an arrest warrant for Putin, holding him accountable for alleged war crimes. 

Will next week see Putin's arrest? Examined is the Russian President's visit to Mongolia

According to the Kremlin, as reported by AFP, Putin will travel to Mongolia on September 3, 2024, at the invitation of Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh. The visit is to participate in ceremonies commemorating the 85th anniversary of the joint Soviet and Mongolian forces' victory over Japanese militarists at the Khalkhin Gol River.

Last year, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of responsibility for war crimes, including the illegal deportation of children from Ukraine. ICC prosecutor Karim Khan has stated that if Putin visits any of the ICC's more than 120 member states, he could be subject to arrest.

However, Russia is not a signatory to the ICC, raising questions about the enforceability of such a warrant. India, another country not a member of the ICC, is expected to host Putin later this year for the G20 summit in New Delhi.

The specific charges against Putin involve his alleged role, along with Maria Lvova-Belova, in the unlawful deportation and transfer of children from occupied regions of Ukraine to Russia. Reports from the United Nations Commission of Inquiry, cited by the BBC, indicate that some of these children were forced to acquire Russian citizenship and placed in foster families in Russia, effectively making their return difficult. The transfers, initially described as temporary, have been complicated by numerous obstacles that prevent children and their parents from reuniting. UN investigators have identified 16,221 children forcibly taken to Russia.

The ICC has indicated that there are reasonable grounds to believe Putin bears "individual responsibility for these crimes," whether he committed them directly, jointly with others, or through intermediaries. Furthermore, the court suggests that Putin did not adequately control his civilian and military subordinates who were directly involved in these acts or allowed them to occur.

Under the arrest warrant, ICC member states are obligated to detain Putin or Lvova-Belova if they enter their territory. However, the ICC lacks its own police force or any direct means to enforce these arrests, which complicates the situation further.