Former President Trump has agreed with the Taliban to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan before May 1. Biden wants to do it by September. Russia maintains that this would be a “clear violation of the agreement.”
Russia estimated this Wednesday (04/14/2021) that delaying the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan until September could lead to escalation, as Washington would be revoking its agreement with the Taliban.
“This raises concerns that the armed conflict in Afghanistan may escalate in the near future, which in turn could undermine efforts to initiate negotiations between the Afghan parties,” said Russian diplomatic spokeswoman Maria Zajarova.
In the opinion of the Russian government, delaying the withdrawal constitutes a “clear violation of the agreement between the Americans and the Taliban.”
Biden to withdraw troops four months after Trump’s agreement with the Taliban
Washington announced Tuesday that all US troops will leave Afghanistan “unconditionally” before September 11, the 20th anniversary of the 2001 attacks in the United States, despite fears of a strong return of the Taliban.
US President Joe Biden had previously warned that it would be “difficult” to meet the deadline for troop withdrawal, set for May 1 in an agreement signed by his predecessor Donald Trump with the Taliban.
The Taliban threatened on Wednesday to boycott all peace negotiations for Afghanistan and resume their attacks against international troops if the United States does not withdraw its troops before May 1.