In response to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to Moscow, the United States stated that it is the responsibility of every “responsible” country to express opposition to Russia’s activities in Ukraine. According to US State Department spokesperson Ned Price, the US has advised Pakistan about its position on the situation in Ukraine.
When asked about Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Price said, “We’ve communicated to Pakistan our position regarding Russia’s further renewed invasion of Ukraine, and we’ve briefed them on our efforts to pursue diplomacy over war.”
The US considered the relationship with Ukraine essential
According to Price, the US considers its relationship with Ukraine to be essential to its interests. The Pakistani Prime Minister arrived in Moscow on Wednesday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and discuss issues such as economic cooperation, just hours after the United States and a number of Western countries imposed new sanctions on Russia for its military deployment in eastern Ukraine.
The two countries shared concerns in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, as well as regional security cooperation, will be discussed. Khan is the first foreign leader to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin since Russian forces entered separatist areas of eastern Ukraine, intensifying the crisis between Russia and the West. Khan’s trip to Moscow, the first by a Pakistani Prime Minister in 23 years, has been planned for some time, but experts believe that by going ahead as planned, Pakistan is implicitly endorsing Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s activities.
President Joe Biden moved forward with sanctions against the company in charge of developing Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline today, after using a national security waiver to block such measures last year.
“My administration has been directed to apply sanctions on Nord Stream 2 AG and its corporate officers as of today. These actions are part of the first round of sanctions we imposed in response to Russia’s conduct in Ukraine. We will not hesitate to take additional steps if Russia continues to escalate, as I have stated “In a statement, Biden said. The measure is part of a slew of sanctions imposed on Russia this week by the US and its allies in response to Putin’s recognition of rebel areas in eastern Ukraine as independent states.