Canada’s premier speaks by phone with Mexican president

By Jorge Antonio Rocha

MEXICO CITY (AA) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke by phone Tuesday with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and invited him to take part in an event supporting victims of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Trudeau disclosed the details of the call on his Twitter account, saying they spoke about relations between the two countries and trade and economic ties and that he invited Lopez Obrador to take part in a virtual event called "Stand up for Ukraine.”

“On the phone today, President @LopezObrador_and I shared our concerns about the humanitarian impact of the war in Ukraine – and I invited him to take part in this week’s #StandUpForUkraine event in support of Ukrainian refugees and others who have been displaced,” he said.

The humanitarian event will take place on April 9 and is set to be hosted by Trudeau and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. It aims to raise funds for Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced people.

At a press conference, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said the call could have taken place because Mexico presented a call before the UN Security Council for the cessation of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine which was approved by 140 votes.

Mexico also expressed its condemnation of the war during the Security Council session and called for an independent investigation following the discovery of the bodies of many Ukrainian civilians in the streets of the town of Bucha after the occupation of the Russian army.

“The images that exist, which have circulated profusely in recent days, shocked the world. We strongly condemn the atrocities that are reflected in them. Protecting the population is an inalienable responsibility of the international community. Nothing can justify what we are seeing,” said Ebrard.

“What is Mexico proposing? Mexico supports the (UN) Secretary General’s statement so that impartial investigations are carried out as soon as possible to immediately identify those responsible and demands effective accountability.”

The Russia-Ukraine war, which started on Feb. 24, has drawn international outrage, with the European Union, US and UK, among others, implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.

At least 1,480 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 2,195 injured, according to UN estimates, with the true figure feared to be far higher.

More than 4.24 million Ukrainians have fled to other countries, with millions more internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.