The European Commission has urged authorities in Mexico to detain Russian President Vladimir Putin if he accepts an invitation to attend the inauguration of President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum.
This was stated by the spokesperson of the EU foreign affairs, Peter Stano, in an interview with Euractiv, before Ukrinform, quoted by BTA.
According to Stano, Mexico's membership of the International Criminal Court (ICC) means that the country is legally bound to arrest Putin if he goes to Mexico for the ceremony scheduled for October 1.
„Mexico has been a member state of the International Criminal Court since 2005, with the legal obligations arising therefrom. Therefore, we believe that Mexico will fulfill its obligations as a member of the ICC”, Stano said.
He added that in June there was a Mexican representative at the Ukraine Peace Summit in Switzerland, where a “consensus was reached that Russia should end its war against Ukraine” and that “in successive votes at the UN, Mexico […] joined the vast majority of the (international) community in condemning Russian aggression and calling on Russia to stop it.
At the same time, Stano recognized that "Mexico, like all other countries, has the right to develop its international relations according to its own interests".
As reported, Ukraine has already asked Mexico to arrest Vladimir Putin if he arrives for the inauguration of the president.
On March 17, 2023, the Pre-Trial Chamber of the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Children's Ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova on charges of illegal deportation of children and illegal removal of Ukrainians to Russia.
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