Int'l Community Will Have to Clear Out Afghanistan Mess: Putin Hints at US Role

Putin said US and its allies' withdrawal from Afghanistan has led to a new crisis.

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Photo: Screengrab / PMO India Youtube Channel

Global security is facing serious challenges and the system of strategic stability has gone all downhill, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during the 13th BRICS Summit, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday, 9 September.

Putin said rather than ending, regional conflicts have erupted once again and become more violent.

"US and its allies' withdrawal from Afghanistan has led to a new crisis and it's still unclear how this will affect regional and global security. That's why it is for good reason that our countries have paid special attention to this issue," Putin said during the summit, which was held virtually.

Putin said they all want Afghanistan to cease to be a threat to its neighbours "or a source of drug trafficking and terrorism" and said they want Afghans to live with peace and dignity on their soil.

"The citizens of this country have fought for decades and deserve to exercise their right of defining what their state will look like on their own."

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia

Putin, who did not directly name the United States, was highly critical of the country, who withdrew their troops from Afghanistan on 31 August after 20 years, saying the "entire international community will have to clear out" their mess.

"I have said on numerous occasions that a new spiral of crisis in Afghanistan stems directly from irresponsible attempts to impose alien values from the outside and the intention to build this so-called democracy, democratic structures, using the patterns and methods of social and political engineering, without taking into account either historic features or disregarding the traditions that other people have followed. It results in destabilisation and chaos, and after that, the authors of this experiment back down, leaving those they have paternalised to their own devices. The entire international community will have to clear out the mess as a result," Putin said.

Putin said Russia, just like its BRIC partners, has consistently spoken for establishing long-awaited peace and stability on Afghan soil.

Putin further opined that "progressive developmental international relations" can be guaranteed through "the coexistence of states with different political and social systems, national interests and spiritual and moral values".

However, he said the fundamental principles of international law enshrined in the UN Charter must be observed, including "non-interference into internal affairs and respect for sovereignty".

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said they had adopted the "BRICS Counter-Terrorism Action Plan."

BRICS Leaders Adopt 'New Delhi Declaration'

The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa adopted the 'New Delhi Declaration', which contained a strong reference to the Afghanistan crisis, during the virtual summit, reported ANI.

"Leaders called for refraining from violence and settling the situation by peaceful means in Afghanistan through an inclusive intra-Afghan dialogue so as to ensure stability, civil peace, law and order in the country," said MEA secretary Sanjay Bhattacharyya.

"They underscored the priority of fighting terrorism, including preventing attempts by terrorist organisations to use Afghan territory as terrorist sanctuary and to carry out attacks against other countries. They emphasised the need to address the humanitarian situation and to uphold human rights," he said.

He said the BRICS leaders expressed "strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations whenever, wherever and by whomsoever committed" and committed to "combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the cross-border movement of terrorists and terrorism financing networks and safe havens."

He said the role of the UN Security Council was also referred to in the context of Afghanistan.

(With Inputs from ANI)