Russia to Afghanistan: Taliban Ready to Reach Settlement

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After 20 years of fighting, the Russian envoy to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, indicated today that Taliban leaders are ready to strike an agreement.

"I feel and see that the Taliban are ready for a political settlement, not only via stances but also through intentions shown in various ways," the Russian envoy said during a press conference broadcast on the Internet.

Kabulov added: "But it's clear that from their viewpoint a political compromise should be decently presented to them." He continues, “Over the past 20 or so years, the bulk of the Taliban leadership has certainly become fed up with war and understand that there is a need to search for political solutions to the current deadlock.”

However, he also stated that "Younger and more hardline Taliban fighters are less ready to abandon fighting, [as opposed to] a third or even fourth generation of impassioned combatants," he said, "who still have a lot of enthusiasm and have never tried to live in a free and unoccupied Afghanistan."

"So far, the Taliban is unable to capture big administrative centers in Afghanistan’s provinces. However, I don’t rule out that in the near future they will be able to take control of two or three administrative centers. However, they are not strong enough to seize and, importantly, to establish long-term control of the country’s big provinces," Kabulov added.

He made it clear that "The military balance in favor of the Taliban would shift if there is no serious progress in the national reconciliation process. Then it's not hard to envision them seizing control by force."

The Russian envoy's assertions came after a round of talks between Taliban and Afghan government representatives in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday and Sunday that resulted in little progress. He emphasized the significance of finding a "fair solution" at the end of his speech.

"The Taliban has no desire for peace and reconciliation," Afghan President Ashraf Ghani declared in a statement released today, Tuesday.

"Anyone who thought the Taliban had changed was mistaken, and we likewise misunderstood the release of thousands of Taliban prisoners for promoting a political solution," he stated.

After seizing vast portions of the country in conjunction with the withdrawal of American forces, the Taliban has demanded that the Afghan government free thousands of prisoners in exchange for a ceasefire.

"Any attempt by the movement to harm the security of Russia's allies in the Central Asian region would be laden with serious losses," Kabulov warned the Taliban a few days ago.