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Islamabad —Russia has accused Ukraine and its Western allies of deliberately undermining efforts to end the conflict, even as Moscow reaffirmed its commitment to diplomacy and praised Pakistan’s neutral stance.
Speaking at a routine media briefing in Islamabad, Russian Ambassador Albert P. Khorev said President Vladimir Putin’s resumption of direct talks with Ukraine earlier this year showed Moscow’s seriousness about peace. He noted that three rounds of negotiations since May 2025 produced results on prisoner exchanges but stalled over Kyiv’s “refusal to discuss technical details of a ceasefire.”
“This is not accidental — it is a deliberate policy by the Kyiv regime and its European sponsors,” the envoy alleged. “They only call for ceasefires to regroup and rearm with Western assistance, which has already crossed $70 billion since the start of the operation.”
Ambassador Khorev said Russia had already exchanged more than 1,000 prisoners of war with Ukraine and handed over the remains of 6,060 Ukrainian soldiers. He rejected what he described as “false claims” about mass abductions of Ukrainian children.
The envoy criticized Ukraine’s rejection of multiple temporary truces this year, including an Orthodox Easter pause and a Victory Day suspension of hostilities, claiming Kyiv forces committed “4,900 violations” during the Easter ceasefire alone.
He dismissed Western calls for a Putin–Zelensky summit, saying President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose mandate expired in May 2024, was “seeking legitimacy through theatrics rather than peace.”
“Russia wants a professional discussion on the root causes of the conflict — NATO expansion, persecution of Russian speakers, suppression of the Orthodox Church — not another political show,” Khorev added.
The ambassador also condemned Kyiv’s August 2025 legislation on “national memory,” which bans Soviet-era symbols and honors nationalist insurgents, calling it unconstitutional and discriminatory.
Turning to the UN, he accused Secretary-General António Guterres of bias, claiming the Secretariat “selectively applies the UN Charter under Western influence.” He noted that 119 countries, including Pakistan, backed Russia’s resolution against the glorification of Nazism last year.
Khorev described the 2015 Minsk Agreements as a “Western ploy to buy time for Ukraine’s rearmament” and warned that EU proposals to send troops to Ukraine were “unacceptable.”
On regional tensions, he denied Polish allegations that Russian drones entered its airspace, calling the incident “manufactured hype.” He said Moscow was open to direct consultations with Warsaw to prevent escalation.
In his closing remarks, the envoy thanked Islamabad for maintaining neutrality.
“We appreciate Pakistan’s consistent stance despite pressure. Pakistan’s support for a negotiated solution is fully in line with Russia’s approach,” he said.
Khorev also cited the recent U.S.–Russia talks in Anchorage, where he claimed Washington showed an understanding of Moscow’s concerns, but alleged Kyiv and its European partners were obstructing progress.
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