On Friday, the Taliban ruled Afghanistan government has issued a statement amidst the severe war ongoing between Russia and Ukraine and has called for restraint by both parties. “All parties need to desist from taking positions that could intensify violence”, the statement read calling for dialogue.
Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the MoFA Spokesperson, Afghanistan said that the country was closely observing the Russia-Ukraine war and condemned the invasion by Russia. He also expressed concern about the situation in Ukraine and stated that the violence might intensify resulting in the real possibility of civilian casualties.
Statement concerning crisis in #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/Ck17sMrAWy
— Abdul Qahar Balkhi (@QaharBalkhi) February 25, 2022
The Taliban gravely concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine also extended an offer to hold ‘talks’ in order to avert the possibility of more casualties. “The Islamic Emirate if Afghanistan, in line with its foreign policy of neutrality, calls for both sides of the conflict to resolve the crisis through dialogue and peaceful means,” said the statement.
The Taliban government in Afghanistan further called on parties to the conflict to pay attention to safeguarding the lives of Afghan students and migrants in Ukraine.
The statement by the Taliban has come as a surprise to many as thousands of Afghan civilians have been killed in Taliban attacks in Afghanistan over the past two decades. After 20 years of war, the Taliban last year in August captured the Afghan capital Kabul without resistance and intensified their offensive in the northern part of the country, especially after the foreign forces withdrew from Afghanistan.
On August 15 the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan’s government fell, resulting in the de facto takeover of the country by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions in Afghanistan.
Russia on Thursday launched attacks on Ukraine from the neighbouring country Belarus. The Russian forces crossed Belarus to enter Ukraine from the North and crashed attacks on border units, border patrols, and checkpoints using artillery, heavy equipment, and small arms. Earlier in the day, large explosions were heard in Kharkiv, Ukraine.
According to the reports, a total of 137 people, including civilians in Ukraine have been killed in Russian military strikes. The Ukrainian President informed that the enemy has marked him and his family as prime targets and that they want to damage Ukraine politically by destroying the head of State.
