In April, the NATO allies took the decision to start withdrawing their forces from Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, that has been in place since 2015.
Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Wednesday that there was a possibility of civil war erupting in Afghanistan following NATO's withdrawal.
According to the defence minister, the alliance had failed to achieve “significant results in stabilisation” in the country despite nearly 20 years of involvement. Shoigu added that urgent action was needed to change this situation.
“Developments in Afghanistan require the special attention of both neighbouring countries and international organisations,” he warned.
America's Longest War
The United States arrived in Afghanistan in 2001 following the 11 September terrorist attacks, kicking off what effectively became the longest military engagement in the country's history. In 2015, NATO launched Resolute Support Mission in the country in a follow-up to a previous mission, the International Security Assistance Force mission, completed in December 2014.
In February 2020, the Trump administration signed a deal with the Taliban greenlighting the withdrawal of all American and NATO troops from the country in exchange for a pledge from the movement not to allow al-Qaeda terrorists to operate in areas under the group's control. The original plan was that the US would completely withdraw its forces by 1 May 2021. New US President Joe Biden extended this deadline…
