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Russian Defense Ministry denies supplying weapons to Taliban

MOSCOW, March 27. /TASS/.Russia does not supply weapons to organizations recognized as terrorist by the United Nations, including the Taliban, Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said on Monday.

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Foreign Ministry slams accusations over Russia's alleged support for Taliban as absurd

His comments followed claims by the commander of US forces in Europe, General Curtis Scaparotti, who accused Russia of providing weapons for the Taliban in Afghanistan.

"Unlike US military authorities the Russian Defense Ministry has had and can have no cooperation with organizations recognized as terrorist by the United Nations, let alone supply them with weapons," he said. "This concerns not only the Taliban in Afghanistan (outlawed in Russia - TASS), but any other international terrorist organization the US fights against on its own or as a member of coalitions."

"General Scaparotti ought to ask his subordinates to pay greater attention to planning operations against the Taliban instead of blaming setbacks in Afghanistan on alleged Moscow involvement," Konashenkov said.

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