MEXICO CITY: Mexican President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum stated on September 17 that she currently has no plans to visit Ukraine, emphasizing her focus on domestic issues and Mexico’s policy of non-interference in foreign affairs. She also clarified that she did not label Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a drug addict, refuting a false quote circulating online.
On September 12, the Mexican newspaper Excélsior reported that Zelenskyy expressed a desire for President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to visit Ukraine to witness the devastation caused by the war, rather than inviting a Russian military parade for Mexico’s Independence Day celebrations. He also expressed hopes for Sheinbaum to visit.
Social media posts incorrectly attribute a statement to Sheinbaum, suggesting she rejected the invitation by saying, “If I wanted to see a drug addict, I’d just take a walk around Tijuana.”
The earliest instance of this fabricated quote was shared on X (formerly Twitter) on September 18 by user @OlgaBazova. The same account later clarified that Sheinbaum had never made that statement and that it was intended as satire. A representative for Sheinbaum, Paulina Silva, stated via WhatsApp that the quote is “totally false.”
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During a press conference on September 17, when asked about Zelenskyy’s remarks regarding a potential visit, Sheinbaum affirmed that Mexico’s constitution “is very clear and is very noble and pacifist,” and emphasized her commitment to seeking peaceful resolutions to conflicts. She also remarked that her primary responsibility is to govern Mexico and indicated she would not be traveling extensively. In response to the possibility of visiting Ukraine, she simply stated, “I don’t think so, I don’t think so.”
VERDICT: False. Sheinbaum confirmed she has no immediate plans to visit Ukraine and did not refer to Zelenskyy as a “drug addict.”
