Russia Will Not Intervene in Afghanistan

President Vladimir Putin affirmed it will be necessary to undertake a process of dialogue with the Taliban in the coming days.

On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov assured Russia will not intervene militarily or diplomatically in Afghanistan.

“No one has any intention of intervening,” he stressed, explaining that an intervention would “evidently create an additional risk factor regarding a new civil war in Afghanistan.”

These statements come just days before the complete withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan, which is planned for August 31. A Taliban spokesman assured that “there is no need” to extend that deadline since a decision to the contrary could cause “mistrust” among the Taliban and force them to respond.

“If the United States or the United Kingdom seek more time to continue the evacuations, the answer is ‘No’. Or there will be consequences.”

Previously, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin warned that the destabilization of Afghanistan could provoke an expansion of radical Islamism to the rest of Central Asian countries.

“Afghanistan has a direct relationship with our security,” he said during a meeting with lawmakers from his United Russia party, in which the Taliban’s takeover of power was discussed.

To reduce the risks derived from this event, as well as to guarantee the protection of the Afghan population, Putin affirmed it will be necessary to undertake a process of dialogue with the Taliban in the coming days.