Mexico: deputies allied with AMLO create a Friendship Group with Russia in the midst of the war in Ukraine

A group of deputies from Mexico created a “Mexico-Russia Friendship Group” on Wednesday, earning them sharp criticism from other lawmakers, a month after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine.

The group was promoted by members of the Labor Party (PT), an ally of the ruling party Morena, of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

According to the Chamber of Deputies, the figure of the friendship group between two countries seeks “promote cooperation and the exchange of information between legislators to meet the needs shared by both nations”.

The installation of the group was attended by the ambassador of Russia on MexicoViktor Koronelli. “I greatly appreciate this gesture of demonstration of friendship, solidarity and support”, said the diplomat during the event.

Koronelli said his country respects the decision that “Mexico will never join anti-Russian sanctions and will never, despite requests from the Ukrainian government, supply weapons to Ukraine”.

This Thursday, the United States ambassador to MexicoKen Salazar, criticized the creation of the group.

“We have to be in solidarity with Ukraine and against Russia. It seems to me that the Russian ambassador was here yesterday making a noise that Mexico and Russia were so close. That, sorry, can never happen”, Salazar told Mexican deputies during the installation of a similar friendship group between Mexico and the United States.

friendship event with Russia it also generated the condemnation of deputies from other political groups.

“The terrible situation that the Ukrainian people are experiencing due to the invasion of Russia must be condemned at all levels,” wrote Jorge Romero, coordinator of the parliamentary group of the opposition PAN.

“We reject the aberrant decision that in the Chamber of Deputies, Morena and allies, install the friendship group with Russia”said.

For his part, the deputy of the opposition Citizen Movement, Salomón Chertorivski, led a protest in the Chamber of Deputies with banners that read “not to the war”.

“When it comes to human lives, to an unjustified war, we cannot hesitate”, Chertorivsky said. “For consistency, we reject the installation of the friendship group Mexico–Russia”.

the Mexican president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obradorhas ruled out applying economic sanctions against Russia by stating that his government wants “maintain good relations with all the governments of the world”.

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