Mongolia has worked hard to craft friendly relations across the globe. But geography means that Russia and China still retain a strong influence.
Vladimir Putin arrived in Mongolia on Sept. 2, the first time the Russia n president has visited an International Criminal Court member country since the body issued a warrant for his arrest in 2023. While officially commemorating a Soviet- Mongolia n military victory in World War II, Putin’s visit will test the small central Asia n country’s policy of neutrality and the reach of international institutions.
As scholars of Mongolia and China, we attended the last such dialogue in June 2024 and witnessed Mongolia’s diplomatic efforts firsthand. It is a strategy that has worked for the country, but as events like Putin’s visit highlight, it can be a tough balancing act. Yet Putin’s visit now – the first he has made to the country since 2019 – poses a challenge for Mongolia as it seeks to balance its obligations and alliances with the Western-led international order, of which the ICC is a part, and its desire to remain friendly with its powerful neighbors.
Mongolia’s ‘Third Neighbor’ policy For almost 70 years, Mongolia was closely allied with the Soviet Union. But the fall of communism and subsequent geopolitical reorientation of the post-Cold War order forced the country to alter its economic and political relations. Mongolia is dependent on Russia for almost all its gasoline and diesel supplies and a substantial part of its electricity. Further, due to a legacy agreement from the Soviet era, Russia retains 50% ownership in several key infrastructure and mining projects in Mongolia. In particular, Russia is a partner in the Mongolian railway system, which has grown in importance as a trade corridor between China and Russia, and China and Europe.
Mongolia and the new China-Russia alignment Mongolia and other states in Central Asia face new challenges as Russia and China grow closer politically and economically.
China Diplomacy International Criminal Court (ICC) International Law Mongolia Russia Ukraine Invasion 2022 Vladimir Putin World War II
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