Putin Says It's Vital to Avoid Spillover of Radical Islamism Into Central Asia Amid Afghan Chaos

The situation in Afghanistan deteriorated drastically on 15 August, when the Taliban* captured the capital Kabul without a fight and the collapse of the Afghan government.

Russian President Vladimir Putin deems it important to prevent the spillover of radical Islamism from Afghanistan into the territories of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO)'s member states and the recruitment of citizens into the ranks of militants, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.

"The problem of Afghan drug trafficking is also still an issue and the CSTO should keep a watchful eye on how events will develop in this regard", Peskov added.

The Russian president's spokesman also said that CSTO leaders consider Daesh's* current assertiveness in Afghanistan a dangerous tendency. 

"[…] The president expressed particular concern that Daesh terrorists maintain a rather strong position in Afghanistan, something that poses a threat to the CSTO", Peskov emphasised.

He made the remarks during an online meeting of the CSTO Council on Monday under the chairmanship of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon. The gathering focused on the current situation in Afghanistan, which deteriorated significantly after the Taliban entered the capital Kabul following a months-long offensive.

Four days later, the militant group declared the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan", the same name the insurgents used when they ruled the country between 1996 and 2001.

The chief of the political office of the Taliban, Abdul Ghani Baradar, is expected to announce a decision pertaining to the structure of the future Afghan government over the next two weeks.

*The Taliban, Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/Islamic State, IS) are terrorist groups banned in Russia and an array of other countries