Russian Diplomat Says US, Allies Should Take on Bulk of Humanitarian Aid for Afghanistan

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United States and its allies should cover a bigger part of costs associated with rebuilding Afghanistan and providing humanitarian assistance, Russian Special Presidential Representative for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said in an interview with Sputnik.

"We believe that the US and its allies have a good chance to mitigate the consequences of their presence in Afghanistan by taking on the bulk of expenses on humanitarian assistance for the country and its post-conflict reconstruction," Kabulov said.

He stressed that Moscow is considering urging the Pentagon representatives to "recognise the impropriety of the air strike in Kabul on 29 August and officially apologise to the relatives of the deceased civilians."

A US drone air strike on Kabul on 29 August killed 10 Afghan civilians, including seven children. The Pentagon leadership, following an investigation, acknowledged the fallacy of the attack and publicly apologised for it.

The Taliban* took over Afghanistan on 15 August. The US-led NATO troops evacuated by 31 August, ending the nearly 20-year foreign military presence in the Central Asian country. Several days later, the Taliban announced the composition of their interim government.

*The Taliban is a terrorist organisation banned in Russia and many other countries.