Russia’s ambassador to Afghanistan told Reuters in an interview on Friday that the Taliban were the “de facto” authority of the country, adding that “there is no alternative to the Taliban in Afghanistan.”
Ambassador Dmitry Zhirnov, who spoke to Zoom’s cabling service in Kabul, also said anti-Taliban forces in the Panjshir valley could not prevail.
“They have no military prospects. Not many people. As far as we know, they have 7,000 armed people. And they already have fuel problems. They tried to fly a helicopter but they have no gasoline or supplies,” Zhirnov told Reuters.
The Russian envoy said Kabul’s atmosphere “can be described as a prudent hope” and evoked an optimistic tone of what life might be like after the capture of the Taliban, a sharp difference in tone in the United States and other countries. International journalists have also described scenes of concern among many in Kabul over the return of the Taliban government.
“There was a bad regime that disappeared and people have hope. They say it can’t be worse, so it should be better. But this is another test that the Taliban must go through. After restoring order , should begin to improve the economic situation, “Zhirnov said.
Russia has tried to grow and maintain a relationship with the Taliban over the years, despite the Taliban being included in Russia’s list of terrorist organizations, The Associated Press reported.
Although Russian officials have not recognized the insurgent group as the leaders of Afghanistan, Zhirnov and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have shown optimism about the Taliban’s re-established presence in the country.
Kabul airport scenes indicate that many Afghans are desperate to flee the Taliban, including images of a small child rising against a wall. The boy later met with his father at the airport.