Putin declines to attend Sheinbaum's inauguration in Mexico amidst ICC arrest warrant concerns
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not travel to Mexico for the inauguration of President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum. Instead, a representative appointed by Putin will attend the event, said Alexander Shchetinin, Director of the Latin American Department of Russia's Foreign Ministry, in an interview with RTVI on Friday, September 20.
The inauguration ceremony is set for October 1. Putin received an official invitation for the event back in August. "We are grateful to the Mexican side for this invitation. The President of the Russian Federation has appointed a representative, and we have duly informed the Mexicans about this," Shchetinin stated, adding that this is in line with protocol practice.
In June, Putin congratulated Sheinbaum on her election victory, calling Mexico a "historically friendly partner of Russia in Latin America."
Following Sheinbaum's election win, Ukraine requested that Mexico arrest Putin should he attend the inauguration ceremony. The request, dated August 7, referenced an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). "We hope the Mexican government is aware that Vladimir Putin is a war criminal, subject to an arrest warrant," the Ukrainian document noted.
In response, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador declined Ukraine's request. "We cannot do this. It is not our business," he told reporters.
In 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of war crimes related to the illegal deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia following the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Mexico is a member of the ICC.