Mongolia ignored the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) order to detain Vladimir Putin and received the Russian president with all the honors in Ulaanbaatar. There was a red carpet and all that. Putin was met on the capital’s main square by an honor guard dressed in bright red and blue uniforms inspired by the personal guard of the 13th-century ruler Genghis Khan, founder of the Mongol Empire. “Relations with Mongolia are one of the priorities of our foreign policy in Asia,” Putin told his counterpart Khurelsukh Ukhnaa. It is the Russian president’s first visit to an ICC member state since the arrest warrant was issued last year. Putin is accused of deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. Kyiv accuses Mongolia of “allowing an accused criminal to escape justice, thereby sharing responsibility for war crimes.” A Ukrainian government spokesman said the country would discuss with its allies what measures should be taken. Mongolia hopes the visit will promote economic cooperation with Russia, especially since Moscow wants to build a gas pipeline through Mongolia that will connect Russia with China.
“Get Putin out of here”
Security forces did not allow members of the No War group to hold the Ukrainian flag during Putin’s visit.
Raid on Kursk
Russian authorities said the Ukrainian army had lost more than 9,300 people in a ground invasion of Russia’s Kursk region.
attack on Poltava
At least 41 people have been killed and 180 wounded in Russia’s attack on a Ukrainian training ground.