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Developments in Afghanistan

Russia will not intervene in Taliban's conflict with resistance in Panjshir — Peskov

The Kremlin spokesman added that Moscow had no intention of acting as a go-between, either

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov Mikhail Metzel/TASS

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

MOSCOW, August 23. /TASS/. The situation in Afghanistan's Panjshir province is potentially fraught with another civil war in Afghanistan and Moscow has no intention of interfering in the conflict between the Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia) and the resistance forces, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media on Monday.

"At today's early Collective Security Treaty Organization session this possibility was mentioned from the standpoint it is potentially fraught with another civil war in Afghanistan and additional risks and threats. Of course, there is no intention to interfere in these events," he stressed.

Peskov added that Moscow had no intention of acting as a go-between, either.

"No, this is not on the agenda," Peskov said in reply to a question.

The Taliban movement entered Kabul on August 15 without encountering any resistance and had the city under control within a matter of hours. Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani left the country. He said he did so to prevent bloodshed. Vice-President Amrullah Saleh said that under the Constitution he was to perform the duties of the head of state and called for armed resistance to the Taliban.

Ahmad Massoud, son of the once influential leader of Afghanistan's Tajik community Ahmad Shah Massoud (1953-2001), in a letter published by France's La Regle du Jeu magazine declared resistance to the Taliban, with Panjshir being its center. On August 22, the Taliban said it had sent hundreds of its militants with the aim to seize the province. A source in Panjshir told TASS on Saturday Massoud had entered into negotiations with the Taliban on creating an inclusive government and overcoming political contradictions.

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Power transfer in Afghanistan

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