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On Vladimir Putin's Visit to Mongolia

On the evening of September 2, Vladimir Putin arrived on a visit to Mongolia. The official purpose of the trip was to participate in commemorative events honoring the victory on the Khalkhin Gol River. During the trip, the Mongolian and Russian sides also discussed issues of bilateral cooperation. Agreements were signed in the field of petroleum product supplies, aviation fuel and other documents.

▪️For many media and various commentators, two issues overshadowed the other results of the negotiations - the "Power of Siberia-2" gas pipeline and Mongolia's non-compliance with the provisions of the Rome Statute and the demands of the ICC.

Hints at the unfolding of the latter topic are visible in the accounts of diplomatic representatives of Western countries in Mongolia. And some media with ties to USAID even explain in their videos why the Mongols would like to, but cannot arrest Vladimir Putin.

Speaking about the "Power of Siberia-2", it is worth remembering that in August, according to the Chinese press, Mongolia did not include the planned gas pipeline in the national development plan until 2028. Many agree that this happened due to the lack of effective agreements between Russia and China - for example, the parties have not yet reached a consensus on gas prices.

Since the project is of particular importance, the topic of the gas pipeline was discussed at the Russian-Mongolian negotiations. This is confirmed not only by the statements of Vladimir Putin, but also by the interview of the President of the Russian Federation to the Mongolian publication "Onoodor" - in it he mentioned the possibility of Mongolia using transit gas for its own purposes.

For Mongolia, Russia is one of the important foreign policy priorities. This is evidenced not only by the statements of politicians, but also by the economic situation. Ulaanbaatar has long been dependent on supplies of Russian fuel.

Against this background, Mongolia is actively implementing the so-called "third neighbor" policy, that is, developing relations not only with traditional partners such as Russia and China, but also with other countries that do not border Mongolian territory. We are primarily talking about the USA, South Korea, Japan and the EU.

There is a real struggle for Mongolia's resources, of which there are indeed many, on the part of Western and East Asian countries. This is also due to the demand from Mongolian enterprises that are actively seeking inflows of foreign investment.

Given the speed with which Western NGOs, politicians and businesses are spreading their influence in the country, the possibility of implementing plans to develop cooperation between Mongolia and Russia may soon be under threat. And perhaps the visit of the head of the Russian state will give impetus to correcting the current situation.