Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, has said that Moscow wants to study the draft agreement between the United States and the Taliban.
He said Moscow will welcome the agreement if the document suits Afghanistan’s interests.
“Afghanistan is part of that equation in the region. We want a peaceful Afghanistan; we want a settlement in Afghanistan. I think Afghanistan deserves it. Whoever reaches the agreement – if it is good for the people of Afghanistan, we will support it,” Mr. Nebenzia told reporters in New York during a press conference.
He added: “I cannot say, in what form we will guarantee it. First, we have to see the agreement in order to be able to define what we can guarantee. We will welcome the early agreement on the Afghani settlement if that is the case in the near future.”
He said that all know that Afghanistan experiences an influx of terrorists from other areas.
This comes as nine former US ambassadors have also warned that Afghanistan could collapse in a “total civil war” if President Donald Trump withdraws all American forces before President Ghani’s administration and the Taliban conclude a peace settlement.
“A major troop withdrawal must be contingent on a final peace,” the nine former diplomats wrote on the website of the Atlantic Council, a think tank. “The initial US drawdown should not go so far or so fast that the Taliban believe they can achieve military victory.”
The withdrawal of the 5,000 troops from five bases in 135 days will be followed by Taliban’s commitment to preventing their decades-long ally, al Qaeda, or other extremists from using the country as a haven for new attacks.
The former US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis cautioned Tuesday against a hasty withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.
“We can want the war over. We can declare the war over,” Mattis said.
A Look at US-Taliban Talks
Since his appointment to the post in September, US chief negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad held nine rounds of talks with the Taliban in Doha and the UAE. However, during this period, there have been conflicting reports about the US’s intention of bringing sustainable peace in Afghanistan.
Mr. Khalilzad’s efforts have been largely shrouded in secrecy. In May, he briefed the US lawmakers about his talks with the Taliban that according to reports met with some skepticisms.
On May 9, the sixth round of US-Taliban talks ended in the Qatari capital, Doha. The talks so far have been focused on four key issues: US forces withdrawal, counterterrorism assurances, a ceasefire, and intra-Afghan negotiations.
Last week, the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington is not seeking a permanent military presence in Afghanistan after the Taliban said they are close to finalizing a peace agreement with the United States.
The Afghan conflict has cost more than 2,300 American lives and hundreds of billions in taxpayer dollars. As the war approaches its 18th year, 14,000 US troops are still in Afghanistan, and senior intelligence officials have repeatedly warned that the country remains fragile and could once again become a terrorist haven.
