UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has urged dialogue and restraint to avert escalation after reported Russian incursions into Polish and Romanian airspace, warning that diplomacy remains the “only path” to sustainable peace.
Speaking at an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Monday, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad reaffirmed Islamabad’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all UN member states. He said the conflict in Ukraine, now entering its fourth year, continues to threaten regional and global stability.
“Pakistan has repeatedly drawn attention to the negative consequences of this conflict, and the need to bring it to an end,” Ahmad told the 15-member body. “We firmly believe that only a meaningful dialogue which addresses the security concerns of all sides, is anchored in the principles of the UN Charter and international law, and respects the relevant multilateral agreements can help secure peace — a peace that is both just and lasting.”
The Council convened under its agenda item on “Threats to International Peace and Security” following Estonia’s letter alleging that, on September 19, three Russian MiG-31 fighters violated its airspace, also raising concerns of incursions into neighbouring Poland and Romania.
UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca warned that “the world simply cannot afford such danger to spiral out of control,” citing intensifying Russian strikes on Ukraine and reports of casualties inside Russia.
Russia’s Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy rejected Estonia’s claims, saying the fighter jets’ transit from Karelia to Kaliningrad was conducted “in strict accordance with international airspace-use rules.”
He dismissed the allegations as “Russophobic hysteria,” accusing Moscow’s neighbours of “imagining violations where none occurred.”
Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna countered by presenting radar screenshots and photographs of MiG-31s, insisting the breach was “crystal clear” and part of a broader pattern of provocations. “This marks the fourth such airspace violation by Moscow in 2025,” he told the Council.
Earlier, amid intensified aerial strikes on Ukrainian cities, Pakistan reiterated that military means cannot resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Islamabad stressed that “the only viable path towards sustainable peace is dialogue and diplomacy,” urging an immediate ceasefire and meaningful negotiations that address the security concerns of all parties.
