Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded that Western countries refrain from intervening in Afghanistan following Kabul’s fall, saying they “must stop the irresponsible policy of imposing foreign values from abroad”.
He also said he hoped the Taliban would “guarantee the security of locals and foreign diplomats” and that the country would not break apart following the withdrawal of US-led forces, Guardian reported.
“You can’t call it a success,” Putin said when asked about the US-led intervention in Afghanistan, which was launched in 2001 after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington DC. “But it’s not in our interests right now to stand on this point and talk about this as a failure. We were interested in the situation in the country being stable.”
During a “farewell summit” with outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Kremlin, Putin expressed concern that Afghan militants would try to infiltrate neighbouring countries disguised as refugees. Russia has conducted military drills with Central Asian states and China in recent weeks, as fears grow that the Taliban’s return to power will result in border clashes.
Putin also slammed the West’s support for the previous Afghan government, claiming that attempting to “build democracy in other countries according to foreign templates” was counterproductive.
