Lavrov: Foreign Military Presence in Afghanistan Threatens Stability and Fuels Conflicts

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called on Western countries to abandon their confrontational policies and take responsibility for rebuilding Afghanistan. He emphasized that any forced presence of foreign forces in the country or its neighborhood poses a direct threat to regional stability.

During the opening of the 7th Moscow format consultations on Afghanistan, Lavrov stated that the West should “correct its confrontational approach, return what has been seized, and take responsibility for rebuilding Afghanistan after decades of conflict, compensating for the damage inflicted on its economy and infrastructure.”

He added that Western policies, including the freezing of Afghan financial assets and continued restrictions on the banking sector, continue to exacerbate the economic crisis in the country.

Lavrov stressed Russia’s categorical rejection of deploying any foreign military infrastructure on Afghan territory or in neighboring countries, warning that such a presence could lead to destabilization and new conflicts.

This comes amid escalating regional tensions over the future of international presence in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US forces in 2021, marking the end of its longest military campaign in modern history.