Pakistan says its nationals not involved in Ukraine war

Pakistan on Tuesday strongly rejected what it called “baseless and unfounded” allegations that its nationals are fighting as mercenaries in the war in Ukraine.

The clarification came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed foreign fighters from Pakistan were involved in the ongoing conflict with Russia.

In an official statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said no verifiable evidence had been shared by Ukraine and that Islamabad had not been formally approached by Kyiv over the claim. It added that the matter will be taken up with Ukrainian authorities to seek official clarification.

The Foreign Office reaffirmed Pakistan’s position of neutrality in the war and reiterated its call for a peaceful resolution to the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, in line with the UN Charter.

The allegation from Zelenskyy came during his visit to frontline positions in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region. In a post on X, he said Ukrainian forces were battling foreign “mercenaries” near the embattled town of Vovchansk and named fighters allegedly from China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and several African countries.

Zelenskyy has previously accused Moscow of recruiting fighters from abroad — including North Korea — to support its war effort.

Beijing has denied the charge, and Pyongyang has not publicly confirmed sending troops, though reports have claimed that North Korean forces were spotted in Russia’s Kursk region.

This is not the first time Pakistan has been mentioned in the context of the Ukraine conflict, though Islamabad has largely stayed away from the war.

Pakistan has occasionally found itself in the geopolitical crossfire notably when Moscow and Kyiv exchanged words over Pakistan’s alleged provision of military hardware to Ukraine, which Islamabad has denied.

In 2023, BBC Urdu reported Pakistan "entered into an arms export agreement worth $364 million with two American private arms companies," with the final destination of the weapons being "the Ukrainian army, which is fighting a war with Russia."