MOSCOW, August 16. /TASS/: The US leadership has been shrugging off responsibility for its geopolitical experiments for decades, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on her Telegram channel on Monday.
In the context of the aggravated situation in Afghanistan and the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) taking over the power in the Islamic republic, after the April 14 announcement by US President Joe Biden on the withdrawal of US troops, the diplomat reiterated how the 40th US President Ronald Reagan addressed the Afghans at the end of 1983, 1984 and 1985. "Each speech contained an obligatory passage greeting ‘freedom fighters’ in Afghanistan," she emphasized.
The spokeswoman noted that the 40th US President called the mujahideen the movement of the native population destined to challenge the foreign military force threatening their religion and the very way of life, and that the Americans welcomed their incredible bravery and were closely following the actions of the Soviet Union in that republic. "In a sense, the battle for Afghanistan has shifted from the mountains of Afghanistan itself to the wider field of world opinion. So it is that the Soviets are prolonging the war and blacking out news about the daily atrocities which they're committing. They're waiting for world attention to slip, for our outrage to wane. Then, they believe the support which the free world has been providing to the freedom fighters will dwindle," Reagan said.
"This is actually a direct quote. The historical evidence of American geopolitical experiments that they have never claimed responsibility for," the diplomat concluded.
After the US announced the end of the military operation in Afghanistan and began withdrawing troops, the Taliban launched an offensive on government forces and by August 15, entered Kabul without encountering any resistance. President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani left the country.
On February 14, 2003, the Russian Supreme Court declared the Taliban to be a terrorist organization. The extremist organization’s activities are outlawed nationwide.