‘Situation is new for everyone’: Russian envoy to Kabul says he discussed security with Taliban, city has been ‘calm’

The situation in Kabul remains calm after the Taliban takeover, Russia’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, told RT after meeting with the militant group’s representative, as the mission continues working uninterrupted.

Moscow’s envoy to Kabul on Tuesday discussed the embassy’s security with a high-ranking representative of the Taliban and the diplomatic mission’s security requests were all satisfied. “There were no rejections,” Zhirnov said.

“The situation is calm for the second day,” Zhirnov added. “No shootings can be heard and people are returning to their work.”

The Taliban representative has assured the Russian diplomats that the situation in the city is under control and all marauders had been dealt with. Zhirnov confirmed that the city seems to be peaceful, but added that the embassy has limited the staff’s ability to leave the compound “out of precaution.”

The Taliban told Zhirnov it would guarantee amnesty to those who had worked for the government of Ashraf Ghani – something the group’s spokesman also announced at an international press conference later on Tuesday. Some former Afghan officials have already started returning to their work, Zhirnov said.

The Russian diplomatic mission maintains contacts with other embassies in Kabul that were not evacuated, Zhirnov revealed, saying that he talks to the Chinese ambassador on a daily basis.

“The situation is new for everyone,” the envoy said, adding that the diplomatic mission has no specific plans for the near future. He noted that the Taliban’s “political” leadership is expected to arrive in the city soon.

Earlier on Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow was in no rush to recognize the Taliban, which is still designated as a terrorist organization in Russia, as Afghanistan’s legitimate government. At the same time, Lavrov note the “reassuring” signals coming from the group, referring to the promises made by its spokesman at Tuesday’s conference in Kabul.

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