Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador started a five-day tour to four Central American countries and Cuba. During his tour he also criticised American officials sharply for being quick to send billions to Ukraine. Mr Lopez Obrador demanded US aid to stem the poverty and joblessness that sends tens of thousands of Guatemalans north to the US border.
“They are different things and they shouldn’t be compared categorically, but they have already approved $30 billion for the war in Ukraine, while we have been waiting since president Donald Trump, asking they donate $4 billion, and as of today, nothing, absolutely nothing,” he said.
“Honestly, it seems inexplicable,” he added. “For our part, we are going to continue to respectfully insist on the need for the United States to collaborate.”
Meanwhile, Russia on 24th February launched its invasion of Ukraine. And, according to the latest updates, the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, demanded that Ukraine order its fighters holed up in Azovstal to surrender, the Kremlin said. In a call with Israel’s prime minister, Naftali Bennett, Putin claimed Russia was still ready to provide safe passage for civilians from the plant, according to the Kremlin. However, the UK government has placed sanctions on Evraz, the multinational steelmaker part-owned by the billionaire Roman Abramovich. The company was formerly counted among Britain’s biggest companies. The Foreign Office said on Thursday that the action would “further chip away at Putin’s financial reserves and siege economy, and support Ukraine’s continued resistance”. Also, a $300 million yacht belonging to Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov has been seized by Fijian authorities at the request of the United States Department of Justice.