Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due to speak Thursday via video link with the Mexican Congress. Reuters was informed of this by two sources.
The Mexican government has previously said it wants to remain neutral in the conflict, and some Ukrainian supporters have criticized President Andres Manuel López Obrador for not accepting the supply of European arms to Kiev. Nevertheless, Mexico has voted with the United States and other Western powers on a number of important UN resolutions.
The performance is expected to take place around noon on Thursday, the sources said. According to sources, Zelenskyy’s appeal to the lower house of Congress will take place at the invitation of the Ukrainian-Mexican Friendship parliamentary faction. There is also a pro-Russian faction in the Mexican Congress.
The Ukrainian Embassy in Mexico has not yet responded to a request for comment.
The German president and the American ambassador to Mexico have already tried to convince the Mexican government to side with Ukraine. Attempts to sway public opinion in Mexico on the war in Ukraine led to overt divisions in Congress.
Last year, Russia’s ambassador to Mexico told local lawmakers that Mexico would never follow orders from “Uncle Sam”. This prompted the American ambassador to ask Mexico City to support Kiev.
López Obrador proposed a plan last year to end hostilities in Ukraine, though Ukrainian officials opposed it, arguing it would be to Russia’s advantage. Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard met separately with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts to discuss the peace plan at the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is currently touring Latin America in Brazil, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba.
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