• Ukraine war impacting world including Pakistan, says EU envoy.
  • Pakistan imported 39% wheat from Ukraine prior to war, she adds.
  • Dr Kionka says even after a year, position of EU is clear on Ukraine.

ISLAMABAD: European Union (EU) Ambassador to Pakistan Dr Riina Kionka said on Tuesday that Pakistan has been providing military  and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in its ongoing war against Russia.

In an exclusive interview with Geo News, Dr Kionka was of the opinion it is a very difficult situation for a country like Pakistan because the war is not only affecting Europe but reverberating around the rest of the developing world, including Pakistan — in terms of burgeoning fuel costs and inflation.

Followed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukraine war has caused the supply of wheat to run short consequently pushing the cost of wheat to increase. It also led to burgeoning fuel prices — which Pakistan pays dearly

The EU envoy said “Pakistan has its own history and perspective. On one side Pakistan offered Ukraine humanitarian assistance and also gave Ukraine military assistance. On the other side, it appears that political matters are going on as usual.”

Dr Kionka also stated that one can understand the cause behind the visits and consistent communication that is, “Pakistan imported 39% of its wheat from Ukraine prior to the war.” 

She added it is obvious that it would reverberate in Pakistan, urging that “Pakistan needs to find alternative ways for its wheat supplies.”

The envoy also highlighted the role of the EU in the war by saying “even after a year of the ongoing war in Ukraine, the position of the EU is clear on the matter”.

The envoy said: “EU, at the early stages of the war, provided some $50 billion to Ukraine in support from which $12 billion were directly for the military assistance.” 

On the ways to curb the Russian war investment, she was of the view that “the EU has issued 10 packages of sanctions against Russia so that the Russian war financing could be halted, further highlighting “the EU remained united in supporting Ukraine so that it can achieve its final aim of driving Russia out of its soil. “

The claim comes after Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Balochin her weekly press conference on February 16, had termed the reporting on Pakistan’s supply of arms to Ukraine inaccurate.

“The reporting about supply of defence items by Pakistan to Ukraine is not accurate,” she had categorically said.

“Pakistan maintains a policy of non-interference in military conflicts. Pakistan only exports defence stores to other states based on strong End Use and none re-transfer assurances. And this is the case of Pakistan’s position in the Ukraine-Russia conflict,” the spokeswoman had added.

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