ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign secretary Sohail Mahmood on Saturday urged for “de-escalation, dialogue” between Russia and Ukraine in his meeting with the Ukrainian Ambassador Markian Chuchuk, the Pakistani foreign office said.
Kyiv residents braced on Saturday for another night sheltering underground as Russian troops closed in on Ukraine’s capital and skirmishes were reported on the outskirts. Russia claims its assault on Ukraine is aimed only at military targets, but bridges, schools and residential neighborhoods have been hit since the invasion began Thursday.
Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes in the Eastern European country to take refuge into the neighboring Moldova, Romania and Poland since then.
“The foreign secretary shared Pakistan’s perspective on the situation, emphasizing the importance of de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy for a diplomatic solution,” a spokesperson for the Pakistani foreign office said on Twitter.
“[He] also discussed safety and security of Pakistanis in Ukraine and evacuation arrangements.”
More than 600 Pakistani students remain stranded in Ukraine in the wake of the Russian invasion of the Eastern European nation, with evacuations continuing through Ukraine’s borders with Poland and Romania.
These Pakistani students were currently present in the Ukrainian cities of Kharkiv, Poltava, Kyiv, Vinnytsia and Summy, the Pakistani embassy said on Saturday.
The mission had been providing accommodation to students in Ternopil and transportation wherever possible, especially from Lviv to border crossings, it said.
