FO Dismisses as ‘Unfounded’ Allegations Against Pakistanis in Russia-Ukraine War

Zelensky, on Monday, alleged that Ukrainian forces in the northeast were engaged with soldiers described as “mercenaries” from several countries, including China, Pakistan, and some African nations.
A statement by the FO today has said Pakistan “categorically rejects the baseless and unfounded allegations of the involvement of Pakistani nationals in the conflict in Ukraine”.

“To date, Pakistan has not been formally approached by the Ukrainian authorities, nor has any verifiable evidence been presented to substantiate such claims. ”It added that the Ukrainian allegations were unfounded, and the Pakistani authorities would approach Ukraine to resolve these questions.

“Pakistan reaffirms its commitment to the peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter,” the statement said.

The Russia-Ukraine war started with Putin’s directive to invade Ukraine on February 24th, 2022.
The government has denied, on different occasions, claims alleging that the country was supplying military aid to Ukraine. Just like in other cases, Kuleba’s explanation in Pakistan reaffirmed that there were no contracts or understanding between Ukraine and Pakistan regarding the supply of arms and ammunition.

While Pakistan’s posture has shifted towards supporting de-escalation calls in tandem with the war approaching two years, the country had taken neutral diplomatic stances until the latter half of 2022.

Although Pakistan has strengthened its ties with Russia in recent years, it has maintained historically positive relations with Ukraine stemming from military procurement contracts.