Russia Blames US for Forcing Afghans in Moscow-Allied Central Asia
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that US forces ‘pledged’ Afghans fleeing the Taliban to neighboring Central Asia, an ally of Moscow.
During a visit to Hungary, Lavrov said the United States was trying to convince “several Central Asian countries” to take in Afghans who had previously worked with American forces in the now Taliban-controlled country.
He claimed that Washington had told countries that the Afghans would only be there temporarily.
“They say it will take a few months because they need time to give them visas,” Lavrov said at a press conference with his Hungarian counterpart in Budapest.
“The Afghans who worked with the American forces were probably controlled backward. Why does it take another two months to get visas for these people? he asked, accusing the United States of disrespecting the nations of Central Asia.”
Also Read: Afghanistan Crisis News: Taliban Takes Complete Charge of Presidential Palace in Kabul
About 1,500 Afghans entered neighboring Uzbekistan after the Taliban came to power and are living in tents near the border, as per the Afghan embassy in Tashkent.
Lavrov’s comment comes after Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin complained last week that Western countries are trying to accommodate Afghan refugees in Central Asian countries “before they can get visas for the United States or other countries”.
Putin warned of the influx of refugees from Afghanistan, saying activists could enter Russia on the pretext of seeking asylum.
Several former Soviet republics in Central Asia share a border with Afghanistan and Russia, allowing potential militants to enter the country, he told authorities on Sunday.
Moscow is cautiously optimistic about the new leadership in Kabul.
The Kremlin said on Tuesday it was monitoring “divided opinions” on whether to extend the 31st August deadline for the complete withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.
