ISLAMABAD: Russia’s Ambassador to Pakistan Albert P. Khorev on Tuesday dismissed reports about Islamabad supplying weapons to Ukraine in the war against Russia, saying that “no evidence” had been found in this regard so far.
Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan’s was visiting Russian in Feb. 2022, when Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine following its annexation of Crimea in 2014.
During the war, reports emerged in the British, United States and Indian media that suggested that Pakistan had sold arms worth millions of dollars to Ukraine in the war against Russia.
“We heard of such reports, such information, but we still haven’t got any evidence so far,” Ambassador Khorev told Arab News in an exclusive interview. “No evidence as of now. So, at this stage, I would prefer to not comment until we have any.”
The ambassador praised Islamabad for maintaining neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine conflict despite “pressure from the Western camp.”
“We are grateful for the Pakistani government for its neutral position in this conflict around Ukraine despite the pressure from the Western camp, previous US administration and European leaders,” he added.
The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has killed more than 250,000 people, and the US, Russia and Ukraine are currently holding talks in Saudi Arabia to implement a ceasefire that may eventually lead to an end to the conflict.
MEDIATION BETWEEN PAKISTAN AND INDIA
Asked if Russia could mediate between Pakistan and India on outstanding issues, Khorev said Moscow would “consider” the idea if the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbors deemed it appropriate.
Relations between India and Pakistan have been fraught for years with the Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir being a flashpoint between Pakistan and India since their independence from the British rule in 1947. Both Pakistan and India rule parts of the Himalayan territory, but claim it in full and have fought three wars over the disputed region. Both countries also often accuse each other of fanning militancy.
The idea could be supported by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s new Eurasian security concept, according to the Russian envoy. Eurasia refers to the combined landmass of Europe and Asia including countries like Russia, China, Pakistan India and those in Central Asia, which are of significant geopolitical and strategic importance.
“The Eurasian security concept’s main principle was that Eurasian conflicts should be solved through Eurasian actors which means without influence from abroad, different continents and parts of the world,” Ambassador Khorev said.