In a statement delivered at the 20th congress of the United Russia Party (Russian ruling party), Russian President Vladimir Putin noted on August 24 that threats emanating from the Taliban group (the terrorist organization banned in Russia) in Afghanistan are absolutely real, according to TASS.
Putin said that Moscow has learned the necessary lessons from the experience of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.
He noted that the conflict in Afghanistan has been going on for several decades.
“The USSR had its own experience of being in this country. We have learned the necessary lessons,” Putin said.
The Russian leader stressed that that Russia is closely following the situation in Afghanistan, but will not involve its armed forces in the “conflict of all against all” in this country.
“You know what a difficult and alarming situation has developed today in Afghanistan. We are closely following this situation, actively interacting with our allies in the CSTO,” he said.
According to Putin, terrorist groups can take advantage of the chaos left by Western countries in Afghanistan to begin a direct escalation in neighboring countries.
“There is a danger that terrorists, various groups that have found refuge in Afghanistan, will use the chaos that our Western colleagues have left behind in this country, and will try to start a direct escalation in neighboring states, and this is a direct threat to our country, our allies, as well as a possible increase in drug trafficking, an aggravation of the problem of illegal migration,” the Russian leader stated.
“These are all threats to us, they are absolutely real,” he said.
According to him, in this situation, society and citizens should be even more united. “Coordinated actions of all authorities are also extremely important. I ask the government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, security agencies, together with parliamentarians, to strengthen work in all key areas of ensuring the security of the country and citizens,” the Russian head of state emphasized.
Russia has effective capabilities to protect its citizens from the threat of international terrorism, Putin added.
“We have effective opportunities to ensure our security. First of all, to reliably protect Russia, our citizens from the threat of international terrorism. Unfortunately, this threat persists. We need to understand this and take it extremely responsibly,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
“It may seem to some that such threats have already passed, and indeed they were long ago and not with us. Let me remind you that it was not so long ago, and it was with us. In the North Caucasus, in fact, there were military operations with large bandit formations of international terrorists. If we had not defeated them, we would not have given a close-knit rebuff, if the inhabitants of Dagestan, Chechnya and other republics would not have risen to fight this evil, the horrors that are happening in Afghanistan today would have continued on our land,” the Russian President Vladimir Putin continued. …
According to Putin, Russia has become practically the only country that has defeated large terrorist groups and liquidated the bandit underground.
