Tag: Moscow

  • Bilawal Bhutto defends ex-PM Imran Khan’s visit to Russia

    Bilawal Bhutto defends ex-PM Imran Khan’s visit to Russia

    Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday strongly defended Imran Khan’s Moscow visit, saying there was no way for the former prime minister to know that Russia would invade Ukraine on the day he landed in the Russian capital.

    “As far the former prime minister’s trip to Russia, I would absolutely defend the former prime minister of Pakistan. He conducted that trip as part of his foreign policy and without knowing that — no one is psychic, no one has a sixth sense — there’s no way we could have possibly known that that would be the time [when] the current conflict will start,” Bilawal said.

    https://twitter.com/MediaCellPPP/status/1527401668916256770?s=20&t=KZ4uVQyjDUUPrLQdo_hRgA

    “And I believe it is very unfair to punish Pakistan for such an innocent action.”

    Pakistan, he said, was absolutely clear that it has to stand by the principles of the United Nations, including that of non-use of force, on this issue.

    “We are not part of any conflict. We do not wish to be part of any conflict. In fact, we would continue to emphasise the importance of peace,” he said.

    “We would continue to emphasise the importance of dialogue and diplomacy to resolve this conflict as soon as possible. And we will certainly not take any side or take the side of any aggressor within this context.”

    Twitterati praised FM Bilawal Bhutto for the way he defended not only the formal premier but Pakistan as well. Netizens did not spare this chance to compare Bilawal with Khan.

  • Global oil prices climb to highest in three weeks

    Oil prices increased on Monday as fears of limited global supply intensified, with the developing crisis in Ukraine raising the risk of more penalties from the West against Russia, the world’s leading exporter.

    Brent futures were up $1.50, or 1.3 per cent, at $113.20 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate futures were up 98 cents, or 0.9 per cent, at $107.93 per barrel. Both contracts surged more than 2.5 per cent on April 14, ahead of the Easter weekend holidays, on news that the European Union would phase in a ban on Russian oil imports.

    Last week, EU governments said that the bloc’s executive was working on ideas to ban Russian oil, but officials said Germany was not actively backing an immediate ban.

    Those remarks came before the Ukraine situation escalated over the weekend, with the Ukrainian military defying a Russian demand to lay down arms in the pulverised port of Mariupol on Sunday. Moscow, which refers to its efforts in Ukraine as a “special operation,” said its soldiers had nearly entirely captured the city, with no sign of a truce in sight.

    Read more: Oil prices jump following Russia’s biggest production decline

    Due to sanctions or importers voluntarily rejecting Russian shipments, the International Energy Agency has warned that around 3 million barrels per day (BPD) of Russian oil might be shut in from May onwards.

  • ‘Remarks not helpful’: UK cancels big meetings with Pakistan to protest Khan’s stance on Russia

    ‘Remarks not helpful’: UK cancels big meetings with Pakistan to protest Khan’s stance on Russia

    Both the United Kingdom (UK) and Pakistan administrations have learned that the diplomatic relations at this point of time have cooled off to the extent that the UK government has cancelled two important visits after Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan met Russian President Vladimir Putin on the day Russia started assault of Ukraine and then PM’s blistering speech five days ago in which the prime minister said Western diplomats were treating Pakistan like slaves by pushing for tougher stance on Russia, reports Murtaza Ali Shah for The News.

    Pakistan’s National Security Adviser (NSA) Moeed Yousuf’s official visit to the United Kingdom for a meeting with UK’s National Security Adviser Sir Stephen Lovegrove was cancelled by the UK government to protest against Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Russia, both Pakistani and the UK sources confirmed to The News.

    This week, a high-powered delegation of the UK administration was supposed to visit Pakistan for talks on various issues but that visit has been called off, said the UK government source to The News, who confirmed that the message was conveyed to Pakistan.

    The source shared that tensions are so heightened that the UK government called over UK’s High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner for a briefing in relation to the new situation, including the UK-Pakistan relations. The source said Turner has briefed his government policy makers during the London briefings where the UK’s aid to Pakistan came under discussion too and a new policy in this regard will be announced soon.

    The UK government source shared that PM Imran Khan’s public condemnation of the European nations have caused unease amongst the countries, especially Britain, which has often supported Pakistan at various international forums.

    READ MORE: ‘Kya hum aap ke ghulaam hain?’ PM Khan slams EU ambassadors based in Pakistan

    The Pakistani source shared that Pakistan has decided to follow an independent foreign policy and PM Khan’s visit to Russia and his latest public statements are a reflection of Pakistan’s new approach. The source said Pakistan is not against any country and has the right to follow its own policies.

    On Sunday, PM Khan questioned European Union (EU) envoys in Pakistan for their letter asking Islamabad to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    “Are we your slaves that you think we will do whatever you ask us to do?”

    PM should not have reacted publicly against EU, says Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin

    Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin on Wednesday said PM Khan should not have reacted “publicly” against the European Union in his recent speech where he lashed out at the bloc’s ambassadors for their “undiplomatic” statement asking Pakistan to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

  • ’Immoral’, Moscow to allow Ukrainian civilians to ‘escape’ and enter Russia

    ’Immoral’, Moscow to allow Ukrainian civilians to ‘escape’ and enter Russia

    After bombarding Ukraine, Russia said that their military will hold fire and six humanitarian corridors will be opened around Ukrainian cities to allow civilians to escape, reports Al Jazeera citing Russia’s Defence Ministry.

    Ukraine rejected the plan to give civilians in several key cities safe passage to Russia and Belarus as ‘immoral’.

    “This is a completely immoral story. People’s suffering is used to create the desired television picture,” the spokesman for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. “These are citizens of Ukraine, they should have the right to evacuate to the territory of Ukraine”, he added.

    Kyiv also said that negotiations are taking place with Russia on establishing humanitarian corridors but warned that such escape routes are unlikely to be set up.

    Oleksiy Arestovich, an adviser to Zelensky’s chief of staff, said each Ukrainian should be allowed to decide where they want to go. He also advised Ukrainians against evacuating to Russia.

    China’s Foreign Minister (FM) said that the country’s Red Cross Society will provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

    As of yet, more than one million Ukrainians have fled to Poland since the start of the Russian invasion.

  • Russia and Ukraine talks begin after Putin puts nuclear forces on alert

    Russia and Ukraine talks begin after Putin puts nuclear forces on alert

    After five days of Russian aggression, Moscow and Ukraine have begun high-level talks on the Ukraine-Belarus border with the aim of an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian forces, reports Al Jazeera.

    The Ukrainian military claimed that the pace of Russia’s assault has slowed. However, a day earlier Russian President Vladimir Putin put the country’s nuclear forces on high alert.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called the next 24 hours “crucial” for the country. He has also indicated that he sees little prospect of any meaningful dialogue.

    He said he was not confident that any progress would be made. “Let’s try, so that no citizen of Ukraine would have any doubt that I, as president, tried to stop the war when there was even a chance,” he stated.

    Ukraine’s health ministry stated that 352 Ukrainian civilians have been killed so far, including 14 children. Moreover, tens of thousands of Ukrainians have fled to Romania and other neighbouring countries to seek shelter.

    Earlier, Zelensky had asked the European Union (EU) to admit Ukraine as a member state. As a result, multiple European countries are offering military aid to Kyiv.

    Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states are also stepping up their support for Ukraine by “providing Kyiv with air-defence missiles and anti-tank weapons.”

  • ‘What a time I have come, so much excitement’: PM Khan’s first words as he lands in Moscow

    ‘What a time I have come, so much excitement’: PM Khan’s first words as he lands in Moscow

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan landed in Moscow for a two-day visit — from February 23-24 — to push for the construction of a long-delayed, multi-billion-dollar gas pipeline to be built in collaboration with Russian companies.

    Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Igor Morgulov welcomed the Prime Minister.

    While walking on the red carpet, PM Khan said, “What a time I have come, so much excitement.”

    “Let me tell you, we are so excited to come to Moscow,” said PM Khan.

    PM Khan will see Russian President Vladimir Putin in a one-on-one three-hour-long meeting today at 3pm Pakistan time, amid the Ukraine-Russia crisis.

    The meeting has been extended from one hour to three. Earlier the meeting was to be held for one hour.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine on Thursday with explosions heard soon after in the capital and other parts of the country.

    In an interview ahead of his trip, PM Imran Khan had expressed concern about the situation in Ukraine and the possibility of new sanctions and their effect on Islamabad’s budding cooperation with Moscow.

  • ‘I would love to have a debate with Modi on TV’: PM Khan

    ‘I would love to have a debate with Modi on TV’: PM Khan

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, in an interview with Russia TV (RT) ahead of his visit to Moscow, said that the first thing his government did in 2018 was to reach out to India for a dialogue.

    “I told them [India] our only issue is Kashmir. Remember, I am the one who knows India better than anyone else. So I immediately reached out and then I discovered to my horror that this is not the India I used to know because this has been taken over by a mad ideology. It’s a racist ideology that was inspired by the Nazis,” said the premier.

    “I would love to debate with Narendra Modi on TV. It would be so good for over a billion people in the sub-continent if we can resolve our differences through a debate,” said PM Khan.

    The prime minister noted that greater cooperation between the United States, China, and Russia will benefit mankind much more than the conflict.

    Pakistan wants to strengthen bilateral relations with Russia and he looks forward to his Moscow visit, said the PM.

    The prime minister said, “Our North-South Gas pipeline has suffered a delay because of the US sanctions on the Russian company we were negotiating for the construction of the pipeline.”

    PM Khan said the western countries should frame laws as they have on terror financing to check the illicit flow of money from poor countries. 

    “My main emphasis is to remove poverty. No human society has achieved what China has done. So, therefore we learn from everyone. But we should be rooted in our culture, history, and religion.”

     “Pakistan wants to establish trading relations with all other countries to lift people out of poverty rather than becoming part of any bloc,” said the premier.

    It is pertinent to mention here that PM Khan, at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, will go on an official two-day visit to Russia from February 23-24.

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Energy Minister Hammad Azhar, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Reforms Asad Umar,  Adviser for Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, National Security Adviser Moeed Yousuf, and others will accompany the premier during the visit.

  • ‘When Khan will be speaking in Moscow, Putin will not be worried about what army is doing in the absence of PM’: Fawad

    ‘When Khan will be speaking in Moscow, Putin will not be worried about what army is doing in the absence of PM’: Fawad

    Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that everyone — from Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa to a common soldier — stands behind Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    Speaking in Geo News‘ programme ‘Naya Pakistan’, Chaudhry said, “The citizens of Pakistan stand behind PM Imran Khan as well.”

    “Institutions want to see a person in charge who is loyal to Pakistan,” added Fawad.

    “When Imran Khan will be speaking in Moscow, Putin will not be worried about what the army is doing in the absence of PM Khan,” said the minister.

    The federal minister said a person should have the tendency to resolve issues amicably and work along with the institutions.

    “If soldiers are being martyred in Kargil and if then PM (Nawaz Sharif) goes to India to expand steel business, who will stand by him?” asked Fawad Chaudhry.

  • PM Khan to become first Pakistani premier to visit Russia in 23 years

    PM Khan to become first Pakistani premier to visit Russia in 23 years

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan will visit Russia this month, Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Monday.

    FM Qureshi said that PM Imran Khan has been invited to Moscow by Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling it “evidence” that bilateral relations between Pakistan and Russia are witnessing a positive change.

    The foreign minister made the announcement about the Russian tour while giving a briefing about the prime minister’s recently concluded visit to China and its outcomes.

    “The joint statement is a visual manifestation of the success of the China tour,” FM Qureshi said while referring to the statement mutually issued by Pakistan and China about PM’s visit to China.

    PM Khan will become the first Pakistani premier to visit Russia in 23 years after former premier Nawaz Sharif, who visited Moscow in 1999.

  • United States and Russia ready to talk

    United States and Russia ready to talk

    Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed tensions with the west over growing concerns about troop buildup on its border near Ukraine, reports BBC.

    The Russian president wanted quick surety on the future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) to stem the crisis.

    “The ball is in their court, they have to give us some response,” Putin said at his annual press conference.

    The United States (US) warned of sanctions if Putin does not refrain from his actions.

    Ukraine security officials say more than 100,000 Russian troops have been sent close to its borders, and the US has threatened Putin with sanctions “like none he’s ever seen” if Ukraine comes under attack.

    Russia wanted Nato to give up all military action in Eastern Europe.

    “It’s you who must give us guarantees, and give them immediately, now,” Putin said on Thursday, stressing that military measures were not his preferred choice.

    United Kingdom (UK) Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said she welcomed the fact that Moscow had “signalled it is willing to enter talks in January”, but warned any Russian attack would be met with sanctions that would hit Russia’s economy.