MOSCOW, August 24. /TASS/. European countries, even the United States’ closest allies, have not shown any positive response to its actions in Afghanistan, Russian Permanent Representative to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov said on Tuesday.
"Obviously, the United States’ actions, including its hasty escape from Afghanistan, if things are called by their proper names, generate no sympathy in Europe, including with its closest allies," he said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 television channel. "Not even with the United Kingdom that has recently left the European Union, not even with Germany or others, i.e. the countries that used to be active members of this anti-Taliban and anti-Islamic State (both outlawed in Russia) coalition in Afghanistan."
He admitted that Europe’s presence in Afghanistan was much smaller than the United States’. "But some 150 Germans returned home from Afghanistan in coffins. And the public is now asking an obvious question: what for? What is to be done now?," he said, adding that Europe has another question of what they should do with Afghans who used to work for the United States and European governments. "The EU mission in Afghanistan is purely civilian. It employed 400 locals and only 150 of them have been evacuated," the Russian diplomat said.
After the Biden administration announced the end of its US military operation in Afghanistan and the launch of its troop pullout, the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) embarked on an offensive against Afghan government forces. On August 15, Taliban fighters swept into Kabul without encountering any resistance, and gained full control over the Afghan capital within a few hours. Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani said he had stepped down to prevent any bloodshed and subsequently fled the country. Vice President Amrullah Saleh said that under the constitution, he becomes "the caretaker president" in the absence of the president and called for armed resistance against the Taliban. Western nations are in the process of evacuating their citizens and embassy staff.