Russia Calls for Withdrawal of Foreign Troops From Afghanistan

Date: 28 May 2019 - 22:05

News ID: ۶۶۴۵۲

KABUL (Dispatches) – Hosting Taliban delegates and Afghan politicians in an effort to promote itself as a peacemaker in Afghanistan, Russia has called for the complete withdrawal of international forces from the war-ravaged country.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke at a May 28 ceremony in Moscow marking what the government says is the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Russia and Afghanistan.
The ceremony was followed by talks between the Taliban members and Afghan politicians, including senior regional leaders and candidates challenging President Ashraf Ghani in a presidential election due to be held in September.
"We are calling for a total pullout of foreign forces from the country. We are calling on all Afghan sides to start talks as soon as possible involving a broad range of social and political forces," Lavrov said in welcoming the Taliban delegation, despite the fact that the militant movement is designated a terrorist organization in Russia.
"Russia is convinced that there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan," Lavrov said. "The only possible way...is to achieve peace by political and diplomatic means."
The talks mark the second time leaders from the militant group have met with opposition leaders in Russia. In February, a rare summit that saw the former foes praying together and chatting over meals.
The Taliban have so far refused to negotiate with the government of President Ashraf Ghani, who has said talks should include Kabul. President Ghani has recently announced his government’s own spring offensive, dubbed Operation Khalid, against the militant group last month.
A sixth round of talks between the U.S. and Taliban ended in the Qatari capital Doha with no tangible progress. The Taliban have said peace negotiations were stumbling over the fundamental question of when foreign forces would depart the war-ravaged country.
The U.S., however, has refused to agree to a withdrawal as part of an eventual deal until the Taliban put in place security guarantees, a ceasefire, and other commitments.
Moscow appears to be gaining influence in the ongoing process. Last month, the U.S. announced that Washington had reached a consensus with China and Russia on the key formula for a peace deal it is negotiating in Afghanistan.
The Taliban’s five-year rule over at least three quarters of Afghanistan came to an end following the U.S. invasion of the country in 2001. However, 18 years on, Washington is seeking truce with the militants, who still control large swathes of land in the country.

U.S. service members walk off a helicopter on the runway at Camp Bost on September 11, 2017 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.