Pakistan Maintains Neutrality amid Russia-Ukraine Conflict despite Mounting Pressures from the West

Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Feb. 24 in Moscow, Russia. Photo: Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via Reuters

In the midst of escalating tensions between Russia and the West, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan visited Moscow and engaged in discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the mutual economic and political benefits of a relationship between the two nations, hence publicly solidifying Pakistan’s neutral stance on the on-going conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

With tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalating to new heights, many countries around the world have strongly reprimanded Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and publicly denounced the aggression and hostility being displayed by President Putin. Sanctions and boycotts were put into effect by the West against Russia, ranging from the suspension of Russian teams from the FIFA World Cup, to brands such as Nike and Apple halting sales in Russia, to Russia being eliminated from SWIFT, which is the world’s leading bank messaging system. 

During PM Khan’s visit to Moscow, the two leaders discussed Russia’s plan to invest in the new Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline, a project valued at more than 2 billion U.S. dollars which would create a gas pipeline between the Pakistani provinces of Sindh and Punjab. The investment comes at a time of great economic crisis in Pakistan, with costs of basic utilities and goods having reached an all time high in the country. 

The project, which would transport liquified natural gas from Karachi to Punjab via a 1,100 kilometer pipeline, was originally planned to launch back in 2015. However, the construction was postponed indefinitely due to the lack of Russian funds following the previous sanctions that were imposed against Russia in the aftermath of the 2014 invasion of Crimea. In an interview with the state-run Russia TV (RT) television network, Prime Minister Khan implied that the US imposed sanctions on companies Pakistan was negotiating with.

Prime Minister Imran Khan being interviewed by Oksana Boyko of Russia Television on Feb 22, 2022. Photo: APP

Due to the controversial timing of Khan’s meeting with Putin, world leaders and diplomats from 22 countries are now calling on Pakistan to publicly denounce Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and are urging Pakistan to support the resolution condemning Russia’s hostility towards Ukraine in the United Nations General Assembly. Despite the mounting pressure from other countries, Pakistan’s ambassador to the United Nations expressed concern regarding the Russia-Ukraine tensions, but abstained from voting in the resolution against Russia.

Although PM Imran Khan also publicly expressed his dismay over the Russia-Ukraine conflict, stating that he “hoped diplomacy could avert a military conflict,” his statement did not condemn Putin’s actions– nor did it explicitly side with Ukraine. The statement only further proved Khan’s strategic desire for Pakistan to remain neutral amidst the conflict, which is a precarious position in the eyes of many countries who are urging Pakistan to side with the West against Russia.

Historically, Pakistan has not always been an ally of Russia; in fact, during the Cold War, Pakistan favored the United States. However, in the years since, Russia and Pakistan restored ties and managed to form a diplomatic relationship. One of the reasons Pakistan warmed up to Russia in recent years is due to the South Asian nation’s close relationship to China. 

In the past decade, China invested heavily in Pakistan. Consequently, Pakistan and China’s closeness led to Pakistan’s relationship with the United States becoming strained, with the U.S. alleging that Pakistan’s military assisted the Taliban against the U.S. in Afghanistan. Despite Pakistan’s repeated rejection of these allegations, relations between Washington and Islamabad have weakened. 

Since China and Russia share a common rival in the United States, Prime Minister Imran Khan refuses to explicitly condemn Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine in order to maintain its relations with Russia and China and protect its national interests. 

Speaking about Pakistan’s revised foreign policy in his televised speech addressed to the nation’s public, Khan said “My government’s foreign policy is independent, and our visits to China and Russia will prove beneficial for Pakistan in the future.”