The historic visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to Moscow couldn’t have come at a worse time. The geopolitical tensions have escalated after Russian President Putin recognized two breakaway regions and ordered troops to eastern Ukraine, prompting the region on the brink of an imminent war.
The prime minister has maintained the visit was planned much earlier but will certainly give a message to the West if it has chosen to side with Russia in the conflict. The concerns have been dismissed as the prime minister said Pakistan does not want to be part of any bloc and instead wants friendly relations with all countries. He reiterated the world cannot afford a new Cold War and military conflicts will not benefit mankind.
He said Pakistan suffered in the past because of the politics of the blocs and did not want to repeat the mistake. The last thing Pakistan wanted was the world to be divided into blocs. During the height of the Cold War, Pakistan was allied to the United States against the communist USSR. The relations soured after the war on terror and the increasing closeness with China.
The situation is much different as hostilities between United States and Russia are flaring up, deepening fears of a new war in Europe. The US is also expected to announce new sanctions against Russia as stocks tumbled and oil prices reached a seven-year high. Russia has sent military forces in Ukraine as diplomatic efforts to stop a full-fledged invasion failed to yield any result.
Western governments have been warning Moscow that any intervention across the Ukrainian border would draw a strong response, including stringent financial sanctions. Putin still harbours expansionist aspirations for the revival of the former USSR. In 2008, he recognized breakaway regions in Georgia after fighting a short war. In 2014, it invaded and annexed Crimea from Ukraine.
The Ukraine conflict has already created two sides reminiscent of the Cold War. It will be difficult for nations including Pakistan to maintain neutrality or non-alignment if the conflict worsens. In case of a full-scale invasion, the repercussion could be serious. It would be a delicate task to maintain relations with both sides and Pakistan will find itself once again aligned in a multi-polar world.
