Washington.- The potential attendance of Russian President Vladimir Putin at the inauguration of Mexico’s next president, Claudia Sheinbaum, would detract from a historic moment to celebrate democracy, the Biden administration said Wednesday.
After the Russian newspaper Izvestia made public that the Mexican Embassy in Moscow extended an invitation to Putin to attend Sheinbaum’s inauguration on October 1, the US State Department reacted by condemning the eventual presence of the Russian president.
“As a sovereign nation, Mexico is the one who decides who to invite to these events. However, the presence of an autocrat (like Putin) responsible for so much death and destruction would detract from what will be a historic moment for Mexico,” said a State Department spokesperson in response to a direct question.
The spokesperson, who requested anonymity, placed special emphasis on the invasion of Ukrainian territory initiated by the Russian Federation in 2014, and intensified in 2022, and against which the US and Mexico have voted as a violation of Article 2 of the Charter of the United Nations (UN).
“The US remains steadfast in its support for Ukraine and the UN Charter, and in its resolve against the Kremlin’s aggression, atrocities and other destabilizing conduct around the world,” he said.
“We hope that when the Mexican government meets with Russian officials, it will make clear that it supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the UN Charter.”
According to the spokesman, the US had contact with the government of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador after learning of his invitation to Putin, to which he reportedly responded that the invitations were extended to all countries with which Mexico has relations and the international organizations of which it is a member.
Since March 2023, the International Criminal Court in The Hague, of which Mexico is a member, has issued an arrest warrant against President Putin for his responsibility in war crimes during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, including the kidnapping of Ukrainian minors.
The Izvestia newspaper, which made public the Mexican invitation to Putin, is owned by a private Russian media conglomerate known as the National Media Group, which has close ties to the Kremlin and was sanctioned by the European Union in May 2024 for spreading disinformation.
Ukraine trusts Mexico
The Ukrainian Embassy in Mexico said it is confident that the Mexican government would comply with the arrest of President Vladimir Putin if the Russian leader came to the country for Claudia Sheinbaum’s inauguration.
Regarding Putin’s invitation, the Ukrainian Embassy stressed that the Russian leader has a warrant for his arrest on suspicion of kidnapping and forcibly transferring Ukrainian children to Russia.
“Vladimir Putin is a war criminal who upholds an order issued by the International Criminal Court, whose jurisdiction Mexico recognizes,” the statement said.
“This shameful crime will be one of the many reasons why Putin will one day have to face justice.” “We trust that the Mexican government will comply in any case with the international arrest warrant by handing the man over to the judicial body.”
In the same statement that was disseminated on social media, the Embassy thanked Mexico for inviting the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.
“The Ukrainian Embassy acknowledges the fact that the Mexican government invites representatives from all countries with which it maintains diplomatic relations,” it said.
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