Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Mongolia on Monday, making his first visit to a member state of the International Criminal Court (ICC) since the organization issued an arrest warrant against him last year.

An ICC spokesperson said last week that, as a member of the court, Mongolia is obligated to arrest Putin, who is visiting on the anniversary of a major World War II battle.

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Spokesperson Fadi el-Abdallah told the BBC that all signatories of the Rome Statute "have the obligation to cooperate in accordance with Chapter IX," including Mongolia. "In case of non-cooperation, ICC judges may make a finding to that effect and inform the Assembly of States Parties of it. It is then for the Assembly to take any measure it deems appropriate," he added.

Ukraine, among other Western countries, also requested that Mongolia arrest Putin.

However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow is unconcerned with the arrest warrant and has settled the issue of Putin's visit to Mongolia separately and privately. 

Putin was greeted by a guard of honor upon his arrival in the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar.

Legally null

On March 17, the ICC issued a warrant for the arrest of Putin and Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova, citing the alleged "unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation."

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Moscow has called the claims ridiculous and has responded that the evacuation of civilians from combat zones was not a crime.

The Kremlin noted that Russia is not a party to the ICC, thus the court's decision is legally null and void for the country.

Russia previously slammed the ICC as a "puppet in the hands of the so-called collective West," affirming that the arrest warrant issued against Putin serves to put pressure on the country.