Mexico City, Mexico — Andrés Manuel López Obrador says that he will not send weapons “anywhere”. Mexico’s president made the remark Friday after a request for weapons help by the Ukraine.
“We don’t send weapons anywhere. We are pacifists,” AMLO said Friday after being questioned about the Ukraine request for help.
On Thursday, Ukrainian legislators sent a letter asking the president of the Senate, Olga Sánchez Cordero, for help to intercede with European partners and their allies by sending weapons, military assistance and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
“If you can provide any other type of military and humanitarian assistance, we would be very grateful,” said the letter.
In a letter addressed to Olga Sánchez Cordero, president of the board of directors of the Senate of the Republic, the Ukrainian deputies point out that the military support of their allies can help them “push back the enemy.”
“Providing weapons (to the territorial defense forces deployed by Ukraine) will stop civilian casualties and block further movement of the Russian armed forces deeper into Ukrainian territory,” it says.
Specifically, the letter points out that the “urgent needs in large quantities” are anti-tank guided weapons, FIM-92 stringers, small arms, grenade launchers and other ammunition (modern and of Soviet Union origin). All kinds of communication devices, mainly portable radio devices, bullet proof vests and helmets.
“If they can provide any other kind of military and humanitarian assistance, we would be very grateful.”
AMLO said that the SRE (Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores) “is attending to this.” Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard explained that Mexico, which has condemned the Russian attack, will focus on sending humanitarian aid, while giving an “opportunity to the policy of diplomacy.”
“Mexico is not going to participate in any type of sanction other than the multilateral sanctions approved by the UN Security Council. It has been the historical position of our country, there is no ambiguity in that,” added the head of the SRE.
The request was made by Ukrainian lawmakers amid a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
“The parties have reached an understanding on the joint creation of humanitarian corridors with a temporary ceasefire,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak reported on his Telegram channel on Thursday.
“That is, not everywhere, but only in the places where the humanitarian corridors themselves will be located, it will be possible to cease fire while the evacuation lasts,” he explained.
It was the first time the two sides had agreed to any kind of breakthrough on any issue since Russia invaded Ukraine a week ago. However, Podolyak said the result had not met Kiev’s expectations.
“To our great regret, we have not obtained the results that we expected,” he said, without elaborating.
