Ukraine asks Mexico to arrest Putin if he attends inauguration

In this pool photograph distributed by Russian state owned Sputnik agency President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with Russian Government members at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence, on August 7, 2024. Agence Frace-Presse

MEXICO CITY — The Ukrainian embassy in Mexico on Wednesday asked the Mexican government to arrest Russian leader Vladimir Putin if he attends the inauguration that he was invited to of president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum.

Kyiv’s delegation, which called Putin a “war criminal,” also thanked Mexico for extending an invitation to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky for the ceremony on October 1.

“We are confident that the Mexican government would comply in any case with the international arrest warrant by handing over the aforementioned (Putin) to the United Nations judicial body in The Hague,” the Ukrainian embassy said in a statement.

READ: World leaders laud Sheinbaum’s ‘historic’ Mexico election win

In March 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Putin on allegations of war crimes over the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia following Moscow’s invasion in early 2022.

Juan Ramon de la Fuente, tapped to be Sheinbaum’s foreign minister, said it was “standard protocol” to invite the leaders of every country that Mexico shares diplomatic relations with to the inauguration, including both Russia and Ukraine.

READ: ICC judges issue arrest warrant against Putin over alleged war crimes

Sheinbaum, set to be Mexico’s first female president, won a historic victory in Mexico’s general election on June 2 and is set to begin her six-year term in October.

Putin and Zelensky were among the world leaders to offer her congratulations.