Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit Mongolia next week, as confirmed by the Kremlin on Thursday. Despite Mongolia’s membership in the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued a warrant for Putin’s arrest in March 2023 for suspected war crimes in Ukraine, the visit is scheduled for September 3. This will be Putin’s first trip to an ICC member state since the warrant was released.

Although ICC members are obligated by the Rome Statute to apprehend individuals with outstanding arrest warrants if they enter their territory, the court lacks enforcement power. Notably, former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir escaped arrest in South Africa in 2015, even though the country is an ICC member, prompting strong criticism from human rights activists and the opposition party.

The Kremlin has previously declared its non-recognition of the ICC’s jurisdiction but did not comment on the possibility of Putin’s arrest in Mongolia. The visit comes at the invitation of Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh to partake in ceremonies commemorating the 85th anniversary of the joint victory of the Soviet and Mongolian armed forces over Japanese militarists at the Khalkhin Gol River. Putin is also scheduled to conduct talks with Khurelsukh and other Mongolian officials.

The ICC accuses Putin of personal involvement in the abduction of children from Ukraine, where Russia has been engaged in a conflict for the past 2½ years. Significantly, this marks the first time the ICC has issued a warrant against a leader from the UN Security Council’s five permanent members. The ICC statement alleges that Putin is responsible for the war crimes of unlawful deportation and transfer of children from occupied Ukrainian territories to Russia, a charge the Kremlin has dismissed as “null and void.”

Putin has refrained from visiting ICC member states to avoid potential arrest. Last year, he did not attend a BRICS summit in South Africa after the country, an ICC member, negotiated with Russia to prevent diplomatic tensions. Instead, Putin participated virtually in the Johannesburg summit where he criticized Western nations.

Furthermore, the Kremlin had tensions with Armenia over its decision to join the ICC last year, but Armenian officials assured Russia that Putin would not face arrest if he entered the country.