PUERTO VALLARTA (PVDN) – The participation of a Russian regiment in Mexico’s 213th Independence Day celebrations has stirred diplomatic tensions, with Oksana Dramaretska, the Ukrainian ambassador to Mexico, openly criticizing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s (AMLO) neutrality stance.
The traditional military parade on September 16, held in the Zócalo of Mexico City (CDMX), saw several foreign delegations marching, including the historic Russian Preobrazhenski regiment. According to the Russian Embassy in Mexico, this regiment, founded in 1691 during Peter the Great’s reign, played significant roles in several historical wars, such as the Northern War, the Napoleonic Wars, and the Turkish-Russian War. While the regiment was dissolved in 1917 following the Russian Revolution, it was re-established in 2013 and now consists of over a thousand members from the Russian armed forces.
In a celebratory note, the Russian Embassy remarked, “The Preobrazhenskiy Regiment is one of the most famous formations of the Russian army. Participating in such an important event for the Mexican people is an honor. Long live the friendship between Mexico and Russia! Long live Mexico!”
However, the parade’s inclusion of the Russian regiment didn’t sit well with Ambassador Dramaretska, especially considering the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Dramaretska took to social media to voice her concerns, stating, “The Civic Military Parade in CDMX, stained by the participation of a Russian regiment: their boots and hands of war criminals are stained with blood. How coherent, Mr. López Obrador, is your policy of neutrality and your condemnation of the aggression against my country?”
With the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which has seen Russian aggression for over a year and a half, the participation of a Russian military regiment in Mexican celebrations has put AMLO’s policy of neutrality under the spotlight. The incident underscores the complexities of international diplomacy and the broader geopolitical implications of national celebrations.
