ISLAMABAD: The Russian Ambassador to Pakistan, Albert P Khorev, has thanked the Government of Pakistan once again for its consistent policy of neutrality in the Ukraine conflict despite pressure from external forces.
He said that at different forums, including the United Nations, Pakistan strongly supports a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, a position that aligns with Russia’s stance on the issue.
The ambassador stated this while talking to the media on Tuesday. He said that in May 2025, President Vladimir Putin initiated the resumption of direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations, which the Ukrainian side had interrupted. Three rounds of negotiations produced positive results regarding prisoner exchanges. He said that Kiev was unwilling to discuss the technical details and verification procedures of a potential ceasefire.
“This is no coincidence, but rather a continuation of the Kiev regime’s and its European sponsors’ deliberate policy to undermine initiatives aimed at resolving the conflict. Since March, Ukrainians have had three opportunities to demonstrate their willingness to negotiate and their commitment to peace.”
In March, Kiev ignored the opportunity to cease strikes on energy infrastructure for 30 days. Then, during the Easter truce from April 19 to 21, Kiev repeatedly violated the ceasefire, he stated. Finally, Kiev rejected President Vladimir Putin’s initiative to suspend hostilities from May 9 to 11 during the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, the ambassador remarked.
Nevertheless, Ukrainians and Europeans are insisting on an immediate ceasefire along the entire front line. “This raises a logical question: How does Ukraine plan to observe a complete ceasefire when we have seen Kiev’s total unwillingness and reluctance to agree to a limited truce this year,” he asked.
The answer is obvious. Ukraine and its sponsors do not need the truce to move closer to a peaceful settlement of the conflict. Rather, they need it to regroup and rearm their army with the help of European military and financial aid, which has amounted to approximately USD70.2 billion since the start of the special military operation, the Russian diplomat said.
Russia strongly opposes this option, Khorev said, adding: “We will remember what happened the last time the Ukrainians and Europeans were entrusted with the issue of peace in Donbass. The 2015 Minsk agreements, which were approved by the UN Security Council and guaranteed by Germany and France, were intended to resolve the Ukrainian crisis and stop Kiev’s offensive against its own people.”
He was of the view that lasting peace in Ukraine requires addressing the root causes of the conflict. This includes abandoning Kiev’s neo-Nazi policies, ending the oppression of the Russian-speaking population and Russian language in Ukraine, halting Zelensky’s crusade against the Orthodox Church, preventing NATO from expanding eastward, and keeping NATO troops out of Ukraine. Once these issues are addressed by experts, a meeting between Presidents Putin and Zelensky will be meaningful. The summit must conclude the peace process, not initiate it, he emphasised.
Russia is making real progress toward achieving peace in Ukraine. Although the direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations have seen limited progress, certain achievements have been made.
First, the Ambassador elaborated that since May 2025, over 1,000 prisoners of war from both sides have been exchanged, and the remaining 6,060 Ukrainian soldiers have been transferred to Ukraine for burial. Russia received 78 bodies. Third, the myth of “Russia’s mass abduction of Ukrainian children” has been debunked. He said that Russian negotiators received a list of 339 children suspected of having been evacuated to Russia from the war zone. Previously, Ukrainian propaganda claimed that Russia had taken away 19,000 Ukrainian children, he highlighted.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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