ISLAMABAD: Russian ambassador in Islamabad Albert P Khorev on Tuesday stressed that Russia did not seek escalation with Nato states, including Poland, where alleged drone incidents were recently reported.

Instead, he said Moscow remained open to dialogue aimed at de-escalation.

`The myth of potential `Russian aggression` against Nato countries is also being actively promoted in Europe. In response to the recent interception of alleged Russian drones in Polish airspace, Russian officials emphasized that the Russian military had no intention of striking targets in Poland. The Russian Ministry of Defense has expressed its readiness to hold bilateral consultations with its Polish counterparts to prove that Russian drones could not have entered Polish airspace on September 10 of this year,` he said.

He was speaking at a media briefing to outline Moscow`s perspective on the Ukraine conflict, recent negotiations, and the challenges facing peace efforts.

Ambassador Khorev thanked Pakistan for maintaining neutrality and supporting a diplomatic settlement at the UN despite external pressures.

Ambassador Albert Khorev recalled that in May this year, President Vladimir Putin had restarted direct Russia-Ukraine talks, which had been halted since 2022. While the three rounds produced agreements on prisoner exchanges, he said Kyiv showed reluctance to engage in discussions on ceasefire mechanisms.

He criticised what he described as Ukraine`s repeated violations of short truces earlier this year, including during the Easter pause and commemorations of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

He argued that calls for a full ceasefire by Ukraine and its European partners were less about peace and more about giving Kyiv time to regroup with Western military and financial support, which he estimated at over $70billion since 2022.

The ambassador recalled the failure of the 2015 Minsk Agreements, claiming they were used by Ukraine to rearm rather than pursue peace. He also dismissed talk of a summit between President Putin and President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying any meaningful meeting must follow agreements on key issues such as NATO expansion, protection of Russianspeaking communities, and religious freedoms.

Albert Khorev listed recent outcomes from negotiations, including the exchange of more than 1,000 prisoners of war, the transfer of the remains of over 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers, and a joint initiative to plan a stepby-step ceasefire mechanism.

He also said allegations of Russia abducting thousands of Ukrainian children had been disproven, claiming only 339 names were submitted by Kyiv.

At the same time, he accused Ukraine of resorting to terrorist acts, citing explosions on railway bridges in Russia`s Bryansk and Kursk regions in May and June, which caused civilian casualties.

He also criticized new Ukrainian legislation banning Soviet-era symbols and terms such as `Great Patriotic War,` calling it discriminatory and an attempt to rewrite history.

According to the ambassador, Ukraine had become increasingly authoritarian since 2022, citing restrictions on media, opposition parties, and personal freedoms under martial law. He also condemned efforts to erase Soviet memorials, saying they promoted Russophobia.

Turning to the international stage, Albert Khorev said Russia, supported by countries including Pakistan, had gained backing for its UN resolution against the glorification of Nazism.

He accused the UN Secretariat of bias under Western influence, contrasting its approach to Ukraine with its stance on the Middle East.

The ambassador also referred to recent talks between Russian and US leaders in Alaska, which he said reflected a mutual understanding of the need to address root causes of the conflict, including NATO`s role.

However, he accused Kyiv and European states of sabotaging peace through new funding and military assistance mechanisms.