Russian authorities will lift sanctions on the Taliban if the UN Security Council decides the same

Under the US-Taliban deal, the United States is expected to start diplomatic engagement with UNSC members and Afghanistan to remove Taliban names from sanctions list by May 29.

The US is expected to lift remove its sanctions by August 29.

Speaking at a press conference, Russia’s special envoy on Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said that the US has asked the Security Council to ensure that sanctions are lifted.

He said that if the UNSC adopts the resolution removing sanctions against the Taliban, Russia would abide by the decision.

“This means we will have to conduct a domestic procedure as well … It will be permitted inRussia,” Kabulov said.

The United States and the Taliban signed a peace deal on Saturday. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, however, rejected a clause of the deal which requires prisoner swap ahead of intra-Afghan talks scheduled for March 10.

Kabulov said that intra-Afghan talks may not start on the scheduled date over the issue of prisoners.

He also said that Russia will will never accept any monopoly of power in Afghanistan.

“We have told the Taliban straight more than once that we accept no monopoly and [are opposed to] the Taliban’s return to power,” he stated. “We are not the only ones to say it. Afghanistan’s neighbors — Pakistan and Iran —and also the United States and China share this position.”

“Our position is that Afghanistan is to continue as a republic. But it is up to the Afghan people to decide on that andto reach some consensus,” he stressed.

Source: 1 TV News