Mongolia has given two reasons why the country has not complied with the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant.
The European Union and Ukraine called on Ulaanbaatar to arrest Vladimir Putin and threatened consequences. But the republic's authorities decided that they would not take such a step.
Instead, the Russian president was given a warm welcome, causing outrage in the West.
Politico found out why Mongolia made this decision.
Two reasons were named: energy dependence and a policy of neutrality, the publication writes, citing a representative of the republic’s government.
The country imports 95% of its oil products and over 20% of its electricity from neighboring countries. Without these supplies, Mongolia's existence would be in question.
The political factor reinforced this reason. The government representative emphasized that Ulaanbaatar strives for neutrality in all diplomatic relations.
At the same time, Mongolia signed the Rome Statute in 2002 and recognizes the jurisdiction of the ICC, which issued an arrest warrant for Putin in 2023.
