Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that his country believes the US President Donald Trump’s new strategy is ‘a dead end’.
Lavrov said at a press conference on Thursday that the new US strategy in Afghanistan has no chance for success, Reuters reported.
"The main emphasis in the new strategy, which was announced by Washington, is made on settlement through use of force," Lavrov said. "We believe that it's a dead-end approach."
He said that apart from that, the new strategy allows negotiations with the Taliban without any preconditions, which is also a significant flaw.
He added that the new strategy jeopardizes the joint international stance formed in the UN Security Council.
"If I have got the new US strategy right, it allows contacts with the Taliban without them fulfilling any conditions at all," he said. "I do not think that it goes in line with our joint interest to follow the negotiated, coordinated line which is approved by the UN Security Council. But I hope that within the framework of the expert-level contacts we have with our American colleagues, we will be able to clarify this apparent contradiction."
Lavrov said that the UN Security Council, with the approval of Afghanistan's government, ruled to allow the Taliban to enter the negotiation process under conditions that include severing terrorist links, bringing armed resistance to an end, and respecting Afghanistan's constitution.
In an unexpected move, Trump announced his strategy on Afghanistan on Tuesday morning – in Kabul time. He said the United States must continue fighting in Afghanistan and that they can no longer be silent about Pakistan’s safe havens for terrorist organizations.
He also talked about giving more authority to the troops on the ground. “We will also expand authority for American armed forces to target the terrorists and criminal networks that sow violence and chaos throughout Afghanistan,” the US president said.
Hours after the announcement, Taliban reacted to the new US strategy, claiming that they will continue fighting as long as American troops remain in Afghanistan.