MOSCOW, September 7. /TASS/. Western countries launched a campaign accusing Russia of contacts with the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) as early as two months ago, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the Russia-1 TV channel on Monday.

"Approximately two months ago, practically a meme was launched, a thesis, that it was not important who was guilty of what but that Russia was acting in an unauthorized way because it maintained contacts with the Taliban," she said. "You recall how both the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the special presidential envoy were mentioned in every way possible, and the allegedly secret photographs of contacts were being produced although they were all published on the ministry’s website."

At the same time, the diplomat noted that the Russian liberal community does not read the original sources and is not aware of details. "There is a resolution of the UN Security Council, and it prescribes, it does not allow, it does not permit but prescribes to countries to interact and lend assistance to the political sides of Afghanistan’s peaceful political process," the spokeswoman pointed out.

"And the most surprising thing, what will become a discovery for our liberal world, that resolution directly indicates the Taliban movement as such - as a political side of the intra-Afghan political process," the diplomat added.