Russia: Ready to cooperate with Taliban, Embassy in Kabul will remain open Israel today

Russian support for Afghanistan's new terrorist regime:

Zamir Kabulov, President Putin's special envoy to Afghanistan, told TASS today (Monday) that Moscow is ready to cooperate with the caretaker government to be formed in Kabul.

Currently only the embassies of Russia and China operate in the country.

Kabulov further said that from this coming Monday, he will be in telephone contact with representatives of the Taliban movement and that he is confident that Russia will have friendly relations with the future leadership of Afghanistan.

"I not only hope, I am sure of it. We will improve our relationship based on the events of recent years, as they say," he told TASS. 

At the same time, he qualified his remarks and argued that Russia would not rush to recognize the Taliban regime, which has been defined by the Moscow Supreme Court as a terrorist organization.

"We are in no hurry to recognize them. We will see how the regime behaves," he said.

Members of a Taliban diplomatic delegation visit Moscow in July this year // Photo: AP,

"I do not expect opposition to the organization's rule," he said.

At the same time, he added that if the organization or its people harm and persecute the local population, strongholds of resistance may still form.

Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, was interviewed by Channel 24 and said that the embassy was currently secured by the Taliban, after "the Afghan army and the forces guarding us have simply left."

He claimed that Moscow had received a promise from the organization that "not a hair will fall from the heads of the diplomats."

At the same time, it was reported that some of the embassy staff would be evacuated anyway.

In total there are about a hundred Russian diplomats in the Afghan capital.

Zamir Kabulov, Archive // ​​Photo: AP,

Assessing the situation in Afghanistan as a whole, the ambassador said: "The government has collapsed like a tower of cards. It is the government vacuum that has created all the anarchy and confusion in the city. Armed people have taken to the streets, but it is important to remember that in Afghanistan everyone is always armed."

He added that "the Taliban has started to establish itself in the city, and it is doing so well. It seems that they are restoring public order, this morning there were no shootings and the schools, even of the girls, continue to operate as usual."

Referring to Russia's relations with the organization, which is defined as a terrorist organization by Moscow, Zhirnov stated: "We will monitor their actions on the ground. We want Afghanistan to be civilized, without terrorism, without drugs and with respect and respect for human rights. The Taliban promised us things. "These and we hope they will be fulfilled. Accordingly, I appreciate, our line will be built. We have to wait and see."

As you may recall, the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan after taking control of the capital, Kabul, in recent days - after leaving Western forces, led by the United States, after about 20 years of presence and involvement in the long and bloody civil war.