MOSCOW, July 20. /TASS/. The Taliban (radical group, outlawed in Russia) leadership understand the need to search for a political solution to the current deadlock in Afghanistan and are ready for a political compromise, Russian presidential special envoy for Afghanistan and director of the Russian foreign ministry’s second Asia department Zamir Kabulov said on Tuesday.
"Over the past 20 or so years, the bulk of the leadership certainly got fed up with the war and understand that there is the need to search for political solutions to the current deadlock and the internal ones. I see this not only in words but also in intentions, which are translated in various forms, that they are ready for a political compromise. But it’s clear that from their viewpoint a political compromise should be decently presented to them," Kabulov told an online discussion at the Valdai Discussion Club.
On the other hand, the Taliban group is not standing still and there emerges a generation of younger fighters "with bigger ambitions and who, to a large extent, have never lived in a calm, free and unoccupied Afghanistan."
"They are convinced that they are fighting for the liberation of their motherland from foreign invaders and for the values of Islam as they see them. This passionate young part of the movement, led by individual field commanders, is still radically minded. But they are killed in these combat actions that are ongoing," the diplomat said.
On April 14, US President Joe Biden announced plans to end Washington’s operation in Afghanistan, the longest overseas military campaign in American history. Meanwhile, the security situation in Afghanistan began to deteriorate as the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) is mounting offensives in several directions. The movement claims to have taken control of about 85% of Afghanistan, including regions along the border with Iran, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
After talks in Doha late last week, delegations of the Afghan government and the Taliban adopted a brief statement on their plans to continue high-level peace talks. Head of the government delegation Abdullah Abdullah, who is also Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, vowed that the Afghan government was committed to peaceful settlement of the conflict. Afghan observers note however that the final statement said nothing either about reduction of combat intensity or about a truce.