Afghanistan conflict: as countries rush to evacuate embassies, Russia stays put
- Despite the hardline Islamist group tracing its origins back to the war against the Soviets in the 1980s, Russia’s view on the group now is pragmatic
- Analysts say the Kremlin wants to protect its interests in Central Asia, where it has several military bases
While many countries are scrambling to empty their embassies and remove their staff from Afghanistan, Russia is staying put – it has long prepared for the arrival of the Taliban in Kabul.
Despite the hardline Islamist group tracing its origins back to the war against the Soviets in the 1980s, Russia’s view on the group now is pragmatic.
Analysts say the Kremlin wants to protect its interests in Central Asia, where it has several military bases, and is keen to avoid instability and potential terrorism spreading through a region on its doorstep.
A Russian foreign ministry statement Monday said the situation in Kabul “is stabilising” and claimed that the Taliban had started to “restore public order”.
And ambassador Dmitry Zhirnov said the Taliban – who he was due to meet on Tuesday – was already guarding his embassy and had given Moscow guarantees that the building would be safe.
The militants had assured the Russians that “not a single hair will fall from the heads” of their diplomats, he said.
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Taliban takes control of Afghan capital Kabul as President Ghani flees country
This is a stark contrast to the last time hardliners came to power in Afghanistan in 1992, when Moscow struggled to evacuate its embassy under fire after a disastrous decade-long war.