Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has officially invited Mongolia to attend this October’s BRICS Summit in Russia. President Putin met with Mongolia’s leader Ukhnaa Khurelsukh in Mongolia on Tuesday, despite there being an active ICC arrest warrant against him. While there, Putin said that relations between the two countries are “developing in all areas.”
The BRICS Summit in Russia this October will play host to the BRICS nations. This includes recently added members from this past January. In addition to those nine countries, it’s expected that multiple representatives from different countries worldwide will also attend. The BRICS mission has become increasingly popular, with dozens of countries showing interest in joining the bloc.
Will Mongolia Abandon the US and Join BRICS
Mongolia hasn’t been too vocal about any desire to join the bloc. Indeed, the country still holds strong relations with the US. However, like many countries, the east-Asian country has relied on the declining greenback for decades. With USD in a slump, Mongolia may soon eye any alternatives. This may be a reason why BRICS is a favorable choice. The bloc is keenly focused on limiting the US dollar in trade in favor of local currencies or a new BRICS currency.
However, the biggest note of a potential turning point for Mongolia towards BRICS was its decision to welcome Putin in the first place. As a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Mongolia was obligated to arrest the Russian president as soon as he landed on Mongolian soil Monday evening. However, the country did not and has welcomed Putin with open arms over the last several hours. Mongolia’s defiance of its obligations to the ICC will likely have legal consequences. However, this puts the nation in the good graces of BRICS, putting it at the front of the induction line.
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Putin was welcomed by Mongolia’s leader at a lavish ceremony in the Asian nation’s capital Ulaanbaatar on Tuesday. He has visited multiple countries overseas in recent months to counter the international backlash he and Russia have faced since invading Ukraine. While in different nations, the Russian leader could also look to recruit new BRICS members, with the next summit just a month away.