MOSCOW, September 1. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed hope that Western leaders will keep their promise not to make new attempts to spread democracy in other states.

"I believe that the mechanism of any state should reflect its traditions, customs and be comfortable for the people who live there and who are to give birth to children and grandchildren there and so on. They have promised to stop enforcing democracy, at least the President [of the U.S. Joe] Biden and President [of France Emmanuel] Macron said this practically as one. Let’s see how these promises will be fulfilled. <...> I hope that promises not to enforce democracy to anyone will be kept," Russia’s top diplomat said in his speech before students and lecturers of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO).

Lavrov called the attempt to introduce the Western system to Afghanistan "the biggest mistake."

"This is a country that has traditionally been quite decentralized, based on clanship and other ties. Relations between different ethnic groups were of great importance, and the capital usually somehow balanced all these relationships. Saying "tomorrow you will have elections, everyone should go vote and elect a single president who will have some powers. It was not the Afghans themselves who thought it up, it was imposed on them, and they got burned very badly," he explained.

After the Biden administration announced the end of its US military operation in Afghanistan and the launch of its troop pullout, the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) embarked on an offensive against Afghan government forces. On August 15, Taliban fighters swept into Kabul without encountering any resistance, and gained full control over the Afghan capital within a few hours. Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani said he had stepped down to prevent any bloodshed and subsequently fled the country.

Many states are evacuating their citizens and embassy staff. The Taliban, which took control of the state, ordered all foreign forces to leave Afghanistan by August 31, otherwise their presence would be considered a continuation of the occupation.