As Russia launched a nationwide attack on Ukraine early Thursday, eliciting near-universal reactions of horror and condemnation from the international community, President Vladimir Putin proceeded with a "long-planned" visit with Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan in Moscow, The New York Times reports.
"What a time I have come ... so much excitement," Khan can be heard saying in a clip as he greeted Russian officials upon his arrival in Moscow. According to Khan's office, the two leaders planned to discuss "the entire gamut of Pakistan-Russia bilateral cooperation, and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest" in apparent defiance of the poor timing and optics.
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