SOCHI, October 21. /TASS/. The stabilization of the situation in Afghanistan requires providing assistance to Kabul in rebuilding the economy of the country, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a plenary session of the Valdai International Discussion Club.
"To ensure that stabilization can proceed at the required pace, of course, it is necessary to help Afghanistan restore its economy," the head of state said.
Putin underscored that NATO countries, that had been fighting in Afghanistan for 20 years, bear the main responsibility for what is going on in this country today.
"And the first thing they should have done, in my opinion, is to unfreeze Afghan assets and enable Afghanistan to solve the vital social and economic problems," the Russian leader said.
After the United States announced the pullout of its troops from Afghanistan this past spring, the Taliban radical militant group (outlawed in Russia - TASS) launched a large-scale operation to establish control over that country. On August 15, President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, fled the country, and the radicals swept into Kabul without encountering any resistance. On September 6, the Taliban declared its establishment of control over all of Afghanistan, and on September 7 announced the line-up of the interim cabinet, whose legitimacy has not yet been recognized by any country.