MOSCOW, September 11. /TASS/. The Afghan refugee crisis had been in place even before the Taliban (banned in Russia) came to power, since Afghans flee the country for poverty, Russian Ambassador to Kabul Dmitry Zhirnov said on the YouTube channel Soloviov Live on Saturday.

"The problem is not the Taliban, the problem is the poverty of Afghanistan. It is clear that the standard of living in the United States is higher than in today’s Afghanistan. Apparently, that is why people flee," the diplomat said. "Before the Taliban, there was a huge refugee outflow. According to experts, they could not count them all, as there are five million Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Iran. They flee poverty."

After the United States ended its military operation in Afghanistan and withdrew its troops from the country, the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) mounted an offensive and swept into Kabul, meeting no resistance. On September 6, they claimed full control of Afghanistan’s territory. On September 8, the Taliban formed an interim government, which comprises exclusively its members.

On February 14, 2003, Russia’s Supreme Court handed down a ruling declaring the Taliban to be a terrorist organization, which is outlawed in Russia.