The Ukrainian ambassador to Pakistan appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan to raise the issue of the Ukraine conflict during his meeting with Russian leadership in Moscow.
Addressing a press conference, Volodymyr Lakomov called on the premier to use this opportunity and play a role to mitigate rising tensions as a nuclear power.
His comments come a day ahead of PM Khan’s scheduled visit to Russia on the invitation of President Vladimir Putin. The foreign office said in a statement that the premier would be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including members of the cabinet.
It said that both countries enjoyed friendly relations “marked by mutual respect, trust and convergence of views on a range of international and regional issues”.
Meanwhile, Putin has ordered that soldiers be deployed to the two pro-Russian separatist territories in Ukraine after he recognized them as independent late Monday. The move came after the Russian president signed a decree that recognizes the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) in the Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk respectively as independent.
International news agency Reuters said that tanks and other military equipment were seen in the separatist controlled city of Donetsk following Putin’s order. The move was condemned by international quarters, with the US placing sanctions barring business activity in Donetsk and Luhansk.
