Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba with Foreign Minister BIlawal Bhutto-Zardari. Photo courtesy Foreign Office
Pakistan and Ukraine on Thursday denied reports of an arms supply deal between the two countries, while calling for a peaceful resolution of the conflict triggered by the Russian invasion of Eastern European state.
“I can confirm there are no intergovernmental arrangements between Pakistan and Ukraine in this area [arms supply],” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told a joint news conference with his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in Islamabad. The Pakistani foreign minister likewise rejected these reports, stressing that Pakistan was strictly adhering to a policy of non-partisanship.
“We find it regrettable that certain media outlets are trying to publish unfounded reports alleging military supplies to Ukraine,” he said to a question. “Since the war began, we have not concluded any agreement on defense supplies to Ukraine keeping in view our principled and consistent non-partisan position,” he added.
Kuleba reached Pakistan for a two-day visit on Thursday, conducting meetings with Bhutto-Zardari as well as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The visit occurs amidst growing ties between Pakistan and Russia, with the latter inking a fuel supply pact with Islamabad earlier this year.
During the press conference, the Ukrainian official said his country would appreciate Pakistan’s support in the ongoing conflict. “We want Pakistan by our side the way it finds appropriate for itself,” he said. “We know that Pakistan supports our territorial integrity and the rest is in the hands of the Pakistani government to choose appropriate forums to find a way to support a country that is fighting for its sovereignty and territorial integrity against a much stronger neighbor,” he added.
Bhutto-Zardari, meanwhile, said he had shared with his counterpart Pakistan’s “deep concern” over the conflict and offered condolences over the loss of lives and ongoing human suffering. He said Pakistan would also send humanitarian aid to Ukraine despite facing its own economic challenges. “We believe that prolonged conflict brings immense hardships and suffering to the civilian population. We hope, therefore, that peace would prevail so the people of Ukraine and Russia can enjoy peace dividends,” he said, adding he had emphasized the importance of peaceful resolution to all disputes through dialogue and engagement. Pakistan, he added, would fully support initiatives that could bring peace to the region.
Kuleba said Ukraine wished to boost its trade and economic ties with Pakistan, adding Kyiv looked forward to the inaugural meeting of a Pakistan-Ukraine commission on economic cooperation. Noting Ukraine considered Pakistan a good partner and was ready to work in the area of food security, he praised Islamabad’s humanitarian assistance to his conflict-hit country. He also assured a resolution to problems facing Pakistani students studying in Ukraine.
He regretted the recent Russian move to withdraw from the Black Sea grain initiative that had allowed export of Ukrainian grains. Criticizing Moscow, he warned if this corridor remains suspended, it would trigger food inflation globally and requested Pakistan to play its role in reviving it.
Bhutto-Zardari voiced his concern over the development and assured he would reach out to the U.N. secretary general as well as his Turkish and Russian counterparts to push for the restoration of grain supplies from Ukraine. He noted that the Ukraine war had already led to pressures on developing countries, triggering fuel, food, and fertilizer shortages.
The foreign minister also appreciated the Ukrainian government’s principled stance in supporting a Pakistan-backed resolution on countering religious hatred at Geneva. He hoped joint efforts to strengthen bilateral relationships would prove beneficial for the people of both countries.