Russia to Send Humanitarian Aid to Taliban, Expanding Support Beyond Iran
Translated & summarized from Cursorinfo by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Russia will send regular humanitarian aid to Afghanistan's Taliban government.
- The aid expansion follows Russia's existing support for Iran.
- The decision is attributed to Afghanistan's severe humanitarian crisis.
- Reports suggest Russian involvement in Taliban arms and drone purchases.
- A military-technical cooperation agreement exists between Russia and Afghanistan.
Russia has announced plans to regularly provide humanitarian assistance to the Taliban government in Afghanistan, signaling an expansion of its support beyond Iran. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the next aid shipment is expected to arrive in Kabul within one to two months. Lavrov cited the severe humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, referencing UN data indicating that over 17 million Afghans may face food shortages in winter, with approximately 22 million people requiring humanitarian aid. He also noted that the return of around 4 million Afghans from Pakistan and Iran since the beginning of the previous year has placed additional strain on the country.
This move comes amid reports from Afghanistan International that the Taliban are acquiring weapons and drones from Belarus, allegedly with Moscow's assistance and India's mediation. Previously, Russia and Afghanistan had signed an agreement on military-technical cooperation following a visit by Afghanistan's acting Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob to Moscow in late May or early June.
The article also recalls Russia's ongoing military and other support for Iran, as well as its military involvement in Syria on behalf of the former President Bashar al-Assad's regime since 2015.