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Afghanistan’s troubles stem from 20-year-long US presence — Russian diplomat

Ruslan Stroganov noted that after its hasty pullout from Afghanistan in August 2021, the West "left behind devastation and poverty"

GENEVA, March 2. /TASS/. The 20-year-long military presence of the US, the UK and other NATO allies is one of the main reasons behind the troubles that Afghanistan is now facing, Russia’s delegation to the 55th session to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva said.

"The 20-year-long military presence of the US, the United Kingdom and their NATO allies is one of the main reasons behind the current troubles in Afghanistan," Russian delegation member Ruslan Stroganov pointed out.

He noted that after its hasty pullout from Afghanistan in August 2021, the West "left behind devastation and poverty, and now it is now shamelessly shifting the responsibility to the Afghan authorities, linking humanitarian aid deliveries to political concessions from Kabul." Afghanistan’s currency reserves "worth several billion dollars" remain frozen, Stroganov added.

Moscow maintains contact with the Afghan authorities, urging them "to implement their previous commitment to form an inclusive system of public administration," the diplomat emphasized. Russia’s priority is to promote efforts to strengthen stability and security in Afghanistan. "Only lasting peace in Afghanistan will facilitate the favorable development of the entire region," Stroganov concluded.

The Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia) embarked on a large-scale operation to take Afghanistan under control in the spring of 2021 after Washington had announced plans to withdraw troops from the country. Taliban fighters swept into the Afghan capital of Kabul on August 15, 2021, without encountering any resistance, with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fleeing the country. US troops left Afghanistan by early September 2021.

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Foreign policy Afghanistan United States United Kingdom

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