Mexican president Obrador to clarify proposed Ukraine plan
Mexican President Andrew Manuel Lopez Obrador will formally submit a proposal to end the Russia-Ukraine War to the UN today in Mexico City.
His proposal would create a mediation committee that would facilitate direct peace talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, and would be moderated by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pope Francis.
In June, Obrador claimed that NATO’s policy of supplying arms to Ukraine was immoral and reiterated his claims that the war could have been avoided. In March, six members of Obrador’s MORENA party in Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies created a Mexico-Russia Friendship Group along with members of the Labor Party and the PRI. Although Mexico condemned the invasion in February, Obrador has not joined in international sanctions against Russia.
Obrador’s proposal will likely be ignored as recent Ukrainian battlefield successes have reduced the likelihood of a mediated peace. Obrador will certainly continue to support his plan and Mexico’s neutrality in order to placate Russia-friendly members within his party. Further, Obrador may attempt to use his repeated mediation attempts to boost his party’s foreign policy credentials and distract from domestic controversies as the 2024 presidential elections draw near.
