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Russian top diplomat urges US to prevent humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan

The Taliban embarked on a large-scale operation to take control of Afghanistan after the US had announced its intention to withdraw its forces in the spring

MOSCOW, November 1. / TASS /. Washington needs to take every effort, including the provision of financial and welfare support, to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the Russia-24 TV channel.

"We believe that the US and those, who have been [in Afghanistan] for twenty years promising everyone to establish a model country, should now engage, first of all, financially, in preventing a humanitarian catastrophe," the Russian top diplomat said. "In this regard, we want to preserve the historical continuity — cause-and-effect relationship."

The Taliban (outlawed in Russia) embarked on a large-scale operation to take control of Afghanistan after the US had announced its intention to withdraw its forces in the spring. On August 15, Taliban fighters swept into Kabul without encountering any resistance, with Afghanistan’s then President Ashraf Ghani subsequently fleeing the country. On September 6, the Taliban gained full control over Afghanistan, and on September 7, the radicals announced the new interim government, which has not been recognized by any country yet.