The two decades long US military presence in Afghanistan resulted in nothing but tragedies and losses due to the futile attempt of Washington to civilize the Afghanis and impose its norms and standards of life along with the political organisation of society, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said in light of US troops’ pullout that ended Tuesday.
According to Putin, who addressed the issue at a meeting with students in Vladivostok on Wednesday, it is impossible to impose anything on anyone from the outside without taking into account all factors – history, culture, and philosophy of life of these people in the broadest sense- and leaving enough time for the situation to mature.
The Russian president stressed that one can help people if they want it to mature faster and better, but noted that assistance should be rendered carefully and slowly and in a civilized manner.
Yet, it seems that the US’s witdrawal from Afghanistan has raises serious concerns for Moscow, which is fearful that radical Islamists will infiltrate the region, so Russia has bolstered its military base in Tajikistan with its forces reportedly conducting a month’s worth of exercises near the border.
Russia’s security chiefs are also deeply worried over the potential spill-over of instability and the possible infiltration of extremists into the wider region of Central Asia, including Russia, bu Putin has no plans to deploy troops in Afghanistan, proving he has learnt the lessons of the Soviet Union’s own Afghan debacle.
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