THIS is with reference to the report ‘Russian envoy accuses West of prolonging Ukraine conflict’ (May 20) which com-municated a mixed impression. The text read less like an official statement and more like a careless bureaucratic formality. The Russians know what the truth is; we know what the truth is; the world knows what the truth is. Yet, this theatre of the absurd continues to be codified in media briefings, and demands a response.

Russian rhetoric traditionally begins with the instrumentalisation of the past. By exploiting the memory of World War II, the report highlighted an attempt to monopolise the victory over Nazism in Russia’s favour, while erasing the contribution of other nations, including Ukrainians. To dehumanise Ukrainians, the briefing branded Ukraine as a pro-fascist country — an outrageous falsehood.

In reality, far-right forces in Ukraine are politically marginal and do not shape state policy. In contrast, contemporary Russia displays features traditionally associated with fascist or neo-totalitarian regimes: the cult of an indispensable leader, imperial revanchism, the militarisation of society, the sacralisation of war, and total control over the information space.

Addressing the contemporary context, the briefing attempted to portray Russia as a peace-loving country. This myth bears no relation to reality. In just one week, from May 18 to 25 this year, Russia launched over 1,600 attack drones and 92 missiles at Ukrainian cities. The pinnacle of this ‘peace-loving’ conduct involved 600 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and 90 missiles, including the Oreshnik strategic ballistic missile. Ukrainian law-enforcement agencies are investigating more than 236,000 war crimes committed by the occupying forces, including the confirmed killing of at least 17,544 civilians, among them 705 children.

The briefing reflected an outright denial of war crimes, describing the UN-documented massacre in Bucha as a “contested narrative”, and the forced deportation of Ukrainian children as “relocation”. The United Nations has classified the unlawful deportation of more than 20,570 recorded children as crimes against humanity.

Further, the claim that Western support “prolongs the conflict” does not make any sense: the war is prolonged by the aggressor which refuses to withdraw its troops.

Beyond propaganda, the text pursued a pragmatic objective: to legitimise aggression in the Global South. The reality is quite different. Pakistan firmly upholds the principle of states’ territorial integrity and the UN Charter — both of which Russia is flagrantly violating. Whatever expansionist goals Russia may be pursuing, they are certainly not worth the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives.

I am aware that my official position may appear biased. But there is a kind of bias one need not be ashamed of — a bias against aggression, murder and lies.

Markian Chuchuk
Ambassador of Ukraine to Pakistan Islamabad

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2026