Taliban “monitoring” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; calls for the safeguarding of human life

In a bizarre Friday morning Twitter post, Afghanistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi calls for a resolution to the Russian war on Ukraine through “dialogue and peaceful means.” The Taliban, who returned to power in Afghanistan following the final withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country in August 2021, is calling for peace between Russia and Ukraine and expressed concern over civilian casualties as Russian forces threatened the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Friday.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine and expresses concern about the real possibility of civilian casualties,” the statement said. The Islamic Emirate further called for restraint by both parties and encouraged both sides to desist from taking positions that could intensify violence.

The statement also highlighted the need to protect and safeguard the lives of Afghan students and migrants in Ukraine. In January, the United Nations said it had received “credible allegations” that more than 100 former Afghan government officials, members of the security forces and people who worked with U.S. and allied forces had been killed since the Taliban takeover.

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