Moscow denies supplying Taliban with weapons
MOSCOW. July 26 (Interfax) - Russia does not supply the Taliban in Afghanistan with weapons, and any arms they have in their possession might have been shipped to Afghanistan by Americans from Eastern Europe in the early 2000s, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
"As we have said repeatedly, allegations by a number of Western media and some Afghan ones echoing them that Russia is providing some support to Taliban fighters are groundless. At the present time, neither the Afghan authorities nor the command of the U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan have presented any evidence upholding these allegations," the ministry said in a statement posted on its website.
"Russia does not provide support for the Taliban and maintains contact with them solely for the purpose of ensuring security of Russian citizens in Afghanistan and prompting this group to join the national reconciliation process," the ministry said.
In commenting on videos publicized by U.S. media and showing old small arms, the ministry said the origin of these weapons cannot be identified. "They lack the manufacturer's trademarks, and their serial numbers have been erased. In addition, the weapons that were shown are standard-issue. As is well-known, weapons of such types were manufactured not only in Russia but also in other countries, including in Eastern Europe, from where Americans shipped them to Afghanistan en masse in the early 2000s," it said.
The Foreign Ministry also pointed out that "the Taliban recently attacked an Afghan national security forces base in the Helmand province, using U.S. Humvee armored vehicles."
