Pakistan tries to buy IMF Bailout with 230 containers worth of Weapons to Ukraine
Pakistan plans to ship 230 containers of weapons to Ukraine via the Karachi Port later this month, in a move that may help the country secure a $7.5 billion bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The weapons, which include tanks and rockets, will be transported from the Karachi Port via two vessels, MV Bokram and MV Kherson. Reportedly, ships carrying Pakistani weapons to Ukraine are using US and European flags, and will then be offloaded in ports in Poland and Germany.
Last year, reports came out that the United Kingdom created an air bridge to transfer weapons from Pakistan to Ukraine via Romania.
The ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia has put pressure on Western countries to provide military support to Ukraine, and Pakistan has emerged as a potential source of weapons.
The move is believed to be linked to Pakistan’s own financial troubles as well as its relations with the United States, which it needs for economic support.
Last year, Pakistan’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, and the subsequent release of its IMF funding package were seen as part of a quid pro quo between Washington and Rawalpindi.
The supply of weapons to Kyiv could be seen as an extension of the deal, allowing Pakistan to secure financial support while the West continues to provide military support to Ukraine.
However, the move could create tensions with Russia, which may view Pakistan’s decision to support Ukraine’s war efforts through weapon provision unfavourably.
It is possible that Russia could leverage its ties with the Taliban to create difficulties for Pakistan, whose relations with Taliban-ruled Afghanistan have been rapidly deteriorating in recent months.
