The Ukrainian embassy in Mexico requested on Wednesday that the Mexican government arrest Russian leader Vladimir Putin if he attends the inauguration of president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, to which he has been invited.
Kyiv’s delegation, referring to Putin as a “war criminal,” expressed gratitude to Mexico for also inviting Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky to the ceremony on October 1.
“We are confident that the Mexican government would comply with the international arrest warrant by handing over the aforementioned (Putin) to the United Nations judicial body in The Hague,” the Ukrainian embassy stated.
In March 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin on charges of war crimes related to the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia following Moscow’s invasion in early 2022.
Juan Ramon de la Fuente, who is expected to be Sheinbaum’s foreign minister, said it is “standard protocol” to invite the leaders of all countries with which Mexico has diplomatic relations to the inauguration, including both Russia and Ukraine.
Sheinbaum, set to become Mexico’s first female president, achieved a historic victory in the general election on June 2 and will start her six-year term in October.
Putin and Zelensky were among the world leaders who congratulated her on her victory.