Russia on Monday said it had no intention to intervene in the brewing conflict between the Taliban and resistance to its rule radiating from the famed Panjshir valley.
Russia’s hands-off approach was spelled out by presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Speaking at a press conference, Peskov warned that the situation in Afghanistan's Panjshir province contained the seeds of another civil war, and Moscow would not like to intervene in this situation.
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"At today's early Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) session this possibility was mentioned from the standpoint it is potentially fraught with another civil war in Afghanistan and additional risks and threats. Of course, there is no intention to interfere in these events," Peskov stressed.
There are also historical reasons as to why Russia would be reluctant to support the Panjshir resistance fighters, as they were at the forefront in confronting Soviet forces during the days of the so-called anti-Soviet Jihad in the eighties.
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Peskov said Moscow had no intent of becoming a mediator in the brewing conflict between the two as well. "No, this is not on the agenda," he said in reply to a question.
Analysts say that Moscow has burnt its fingers in Afghanistan in the eighties, leading to its unceremonious exit from the Hindukush mountains. The embarrassing departure became a major factor leading to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
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The CSTO—a Russia led regional security grouping, is exercising abundant caution in forging a response to the Afghan situation. Peskov said that the CSTO will work out a collective plan to address the volatile situation by September 16. Pescov stressed that the current Afghan situation poses "actual risks” to the “entire Eurasian region and the world in general".
