Putin arrives in Mongolia, key link in planned gas pipeline to China, by Reuters

MOSCOW (Reuters) – The Kremlin said on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had arrived for a state visit to Mongolia, which is on the route of a planned new gas pipeline linking Russia and China.

Russia has been in talks for years about building the pipeline to carry 50 billion cubic meters (bcm) a year from its Yamal region to China via Mongolia.

The project, Power of Siberia 2, is part of Russia’s strategy to compensate for the loss of most gas sales in Europe since the start of the war in Ukraine. It is the planned successor to an existing pipeline of the same name that already supplies Russian gas to China and is set to reach a planned capacity of 38 billion cubic meters per year in 2025.

The new venture has long been stalled by key issues such as gas prices. However, Putin said on the eve of his visit that preparatory work, including feasibility and engineering studies, was proceeding according to schedule.

He is due to hold talks with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh on Tuesday.

Ukraine asked Mongolia last week to arrest Putin on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court last year, when it accused him of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.

The Kremlin dismissed the allegation as politically motivated and said it was not worried that Putin would make the trip.

The warrant obliges the court’s 124 member states, including Mongolia, to arrest Putin and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he sets foot on their territory.

Asked whether there had been discussions with Mongolian authorities about the ICC’s mandate, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week that “all aspects of the visit were thoroughly discussed.”